


Reverse Stockholm

by deritine



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Baelfire is NOT Henry's Father, Belle and Rumple are just friends, Dark Magic, F/F, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-17
Updated: 2014-05-13
Packaged: 2018-01-19 19:17:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 20
Words: 74,007
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1481023
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deritine/pseuds/deritine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU Badass!Emma/Rumpelstilskin early Emma/Gold . Also Red/Belle. Belle got the wrong Beast, Emma saves the world and gets cursed?, and somehow ending up in Fairy Tale Land is more complicated than it should be.</p><p> </p><p>Written mid season 2, so many things are very different.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Investigation Happy

**Author's Note:**

> The first part in italics is quoted from the show. This was first posted to ffnet, if it is not complete bounce over there for the end. 
> 
> I was tired of the white heteronormity of the show... though only the "happily ever after" bit is tweaked here. Also there were some scenes which were just very Emma/Gold back at the time I originally posted this. Diverges from about midway though Season 2 (when there was that long, long break of like 3 weeks and I went a little crazy).

" _My dear, you look peaked. Would you care for an apple?"_

" _Oh, no, thank you. I'm fine."_

" _I insist. It's from my very own orchard. At least have a bite- let me know what you think of it. It's a long, dusty road to where you are going."_

" _How do you know where I am going? I don't know myself."_

" _Ah, well you are nowhere at the moment, are you not? Everywhere is far from here."_

_Belle took a bite from the apple and had to concede that it was the most marvelous thing she had ever had. "Thank you, madame. But I really must be on my way."_

_*"You carry very little."_

" _I don't want to be slowed down."_

" _Ooh, running from someone..."_

OooooOoo

Emma cursed as another piece of paper sliced through the side of her finger. Annoyingly, nothing seemed to be on computer in the town's records. Nothing at all. However, it did make it both easier and harder that everything... and that really meant _everything_ was written down and recorded. If she believed Henry, Emma would have said that the world was recording every moment of all of their past lives in all the intimate detail of an omniscient author.

"Aha!" She crowed. The birth records for one baby girl, father: Moe French. No mother noted, which was really odd... and no birth name, either. The rest of the file was a gold mine, though. Sent off to live with a man for reasons not stated... there was brief mention of 'ogres' which made no sense, then institutionalized under the direct supervision of the Mayor. "Gotcha." Emma smiled. No matter that the file had odd holes like the aforementioned fairy tale author had gotten lazy half way though. No death certificate, just patient records (hideously boring- the words 'no change' in a column stretched in identical rows). The last entry was for only a few months ago. The day she came to town, actually. How odd.

"I need to confirm this." Emma mused. She copied the whole folder and stuffed it in her bag before walking out of the Public Records Building. She was lucky enough to find Mr. French on the main street, selling flowers out of his van.

"Hello, Sheriff." Moe said warily. "I'm still not going to press charges. All healed up already." He smiled weakly.

Emma looked at him dubiously. "I kind of doubt that, but that's not why I'm here." She stated. "What can you tell me about your daughter?"

"A monster took her." He answered promptly, and without emotion. "She wanted to go, but eventually she came back, then she left again." He recited. "To Boston."

"Right." Emma drawled. "Details?"

Moe blinked. "I don't know what you mean."

Emma stared at him incredulously. "I mean, what happened to your daughter?"

"I told you." He frowned. He rubbed his forehead.

"You told me nothing. Your daughter is missing- don't you care?" She asked in frustration.

"I..." More now brought both hands up to his temples. "I'm getting a headache."

"Mr. French..."

"I don't know. Ok? She is where she is supposed to be. I can't see her."

"Mr. French, you are not making any sense... is Mr. Gold threatening you?"

Moe French's eyes went wide, and then curiously blank.

"Mr. French?" She asked tentatively.

He blinked slowly and turned his head in her direction. "This discussion is over." He said flatly.

"But..."

He turned around and ignored her.

OoOooo

"I'm telling you, Archie, you should try to have Moe French come in and talk to you. All I did was ask him about his daughter- he gave me the cold shoulder. It's not normal behavior. I think Mr. Gold is mixed up in there, somewhere..."

"You should leave it alone." Dr. Hopper poked his egg, watching the yolk run in a distracted fashion.

" _Excuse me?_ " Emma growled.

"That girl... it's done. She's gone."

"Um, no she's not. I'm trying to find her, anyway. What the hell has gotten into... hey! Where are you going?" But Dr. Hopper just continued to walk out of the diner, looking sort of dazed. "What in the..."

"Hey, Emma."

"Hi, Kid." Emma muttered, frowning after the psychiatrist. "What's gotten into everybody?"

"The curse." Henry replied promptly.

"Yeah, right." Emma sighed. "Well, then Operation Cobra isn't doing so well. All I've gotten is a curt 'a monster took her'."

"Ooh!" Henry sat up excitedly. "Maybe she's Beauty."

"What?" Emma finally focused on her son.

"You know, like in Beauty and the Beast. The story is in there, but I haven't been able to figure out who's who. It's one of the big ones that is still a mystery."

"Right."

"No, really!" Henry lisped rather dramatically in his effort to get his mother to understand.

"Henry, I am looking for a real girl."

"Exactly! So all you have to do is find the Beast's castle, and she'll be there." Henry beamed.

"Alright, kid. I'll look for the castle, then."

"She'll be in the dungeon." Henry added happily.

"Hmm. You may be on to something, there. She has to be in the basement for no one to have noticed her." Emma mused. "What buildings have basements of sufficient size to house a person..."

"See! I knew you would figure it out, you're the hero." Henry smiled.

OoOOoOo

Back in Public Records, Emma was again braving the piles of papers, this time blueprints of the homes and shops of Storybrooke. None were of sufficient size to have basements large enough, though it was certainly possible that someone had built it without applying for a permit. She rather doubted it, though, as she had come across permits for a sex dungeon (which had peaked her interest). It was in the hotel, though, and readily accessible. And, according to the logs (who keeps logs of these things!) was regularly used- most commonly by the Mayor. Ruby was a close second.

"Hah. Regina could definitely be the 'beast' locking up some poor maiden." Emma scoffed. "But maybe Ruby is a better lead..." She mused. There were partners of both sexes listed for Ruby, whereas only males for Regina. "Nah..." She shook her head. Certainly not Ruby; she was no older than the missing girl.

There was another lead, however. They hadn't been kidding when they said that Gold owned the whole town. Every single deed was in his name, with the exception of public buildings (the school, the hospital, and, strangely enough, the Mayor's house). Even those, however, he managed.

Emma sighed. She really didn't want to talk to Gold. It was like verbal wrestling with a polar bear- difficult, humiliating, and almost certainly futile. But she was at the end of her rope. Considering how closed off he had been before, she didn't have much hope that this time would be much better.

OooOoOo

Emma entered the dim shop cautiously, trying to ignore the creepy objects in order to focus on finding the owner. "Mr. Gold?"

"Ah, Emma." He said from directly behind her.

Emma suppressed a squeak and whipped around to see his ironically smiling face. "What can I do for you this fine evening?" His accent made 'fine' roll, somehow.

"Um..." Emma cleared her throat. "I'm looking for a missing person..."

"I thought we had discovered the fate of Mrs. Nolan." Mr. Gold said slowly as he walked by Emma.

Emma had to shake her head at his attitude. Cool as a cucumber, even with the poor woman declared dead. All she got was a 'discovered the fate'- well, it was one way to put 'found heart but not the rest of the body'. "I am still looking..."

"For the rest of her?" Mr. Gold smirked, the corner of his eye glinting from where it was tilted beneath the curtain of his hair. "Ah, yes. Well. If you want to do 'whatever it takes' I am sure you will eventually find what you are looking for."

"That's not why I came here." Emma said in frustration.

Mr. Gold straightened. "Oh, that is a given." He said, placing both hands neatly folded on top of each other on his cane. "No one comes here without a reason."

Which was sort of an odd thing to say, but it was a shop, she supposed... and it wasn't like Gold had friends. Everyone was terrified of him. "Well, I am asking you, as an agent of the law, if you are aware of any of your buildings being remodeled to have extra attic space or basements." Emma said shortly.

He looked nonplussed. "No, none of my buildings have been modified."

"Are you sure?"

He twitched the corner of his mouth in annoyance. "Quite sure, dearie. I like to keep the buildings pristine. It adds to the 'quaint' feel of the town. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Hmm." Emma replied dubiously.

"If you want to know about buildings that have been renovated, I'm afraid you will have to look for ones that the Mayor has updated over time. Her modernistic style..." He sneered at that description, "means that she changes the décor and sometimes the infrastructure almost every year."

"Hmm." And this time, Emma was more thoughtful. It certainly made sense. "Well, I suppose I was always going to need your help..." since she certainly wasn't going to win against Regina without him. That had been made perfectly clear. Even if she couldn't trust him to help her for her sake, maybe he would for this mystery girl he had beaten a man over.

"Standing up to the Mayor again?" Mr. Gold deduced. His gaze sharpened and he leaned forward slightly. "Whatever for this time."

"I told you, a missing person." Emma could feel her face setting into a stubborn expression as she braced.

"And why would you think that I would care..." Suddenly his expression became thunderous. "I told you that she is beyond help."

"Well I don't consider 'in the Mayor's clutches' as beyond help." She retorted mulishly.

"You don't know what you are talking about!" He snarled, his accent becoming so thick she almost couldn't understand what he was saying.

"Yes, I do." She knew this was going to be difficult. Hopefully he would refrain from beating her with his cane as well. He was shifting his weight like he was considering it.

"She is _dead_." He hissed.

Emma blinked. "Not as of my arrival in town, she's not."

"What?" He started. "Your arrival?" His voice was significantly weaker.

"Well, I mean, that date. It was an odd coincidence, I grant you..."

"But... she was dead..." He stared at her, looking like she had hit _him_ with a stick- right in the back of the head.

"Yeah, well, I don't know who told you that, but she's been in some undisclosed location for years." Gold's face abruptly lost all color and he swayed. "Hey, there, steady!" Emma said as his bad knee gave out and he crumpled. She caught him just before his head smashed into a set of shelves. She rolled her eyes at the drama. If the man could keep his feet he probably would have avoided being knocked out by Ashley when she maced him as well.

"Not dead..." He was completely oblivious to her.

"Yes, and in the Mayor's sole custody." Emma said grumpily.

Suddenly he lept out of her arms and raced out of the shop, barely using his cane.

"Where are you going?" Emma called after him, hurrying to stand herself and catch up to him. It was surprisingly difficult. It was like the man had suddenly received a shot of... something.

"I am going to rend her limb from limb." Mr. Gold growled.

"Whoah, there." Emma finally caught his arm and barely managed to duck the subsequent lash of the cane. "Hey!" Her eyes widened when she thought she saw his eyes begin to glow in the fading twilight. He abruptly settled and the glow disappeared. No- had never been. Emma shook her head- she had been talking to Henry too much.

"Why shouldn't I?" He lilted, sounding a bit too cheerful, like whatever she said would not dissuade him.

"Well, for one, I'll arrest you again..." Emma muttered, but she knew that wouldn't matter to him before it even left her mouth. "Besides, we don't know where this unnamed Ms. French is held- the only person that we know who would know is the Mayor..."

"I can get her to tell me where she is." Mr. Gold barred his teeth viciously.

Emma gritted her teeth in annoyance. "And on top of that, no one in the town besides you will even talk about her, or acknowledge that she exists, so how do we know there isn't a way that..." Emma threw her hands up in the air in frustration, indicating some intervention would happen.

Mr. Gold tracked her hands, his lip twitching. "Are you suggesting that she would disappear by magic?"

"Yes!" He smirked at her. "Well, no, I mean..."

"I know what you mean, dearie." He sighed, and it seemed as if something folded up and tucked itself into his skin. Emma watched the process in fascination. "You are correct, rushing into things always ends with poor outcomes."

"Right." Emma watched closely, but couldn't see the... well, for lack of a better word, 'aura' that had been around him. She hadn't really noticed it while it was there, because he did sometimes exude... something. But now that it was so quickly and efficiently removed, she could almost _taste_ the absence of it.

"See something you like, dearie?" Mr. Gold asked with an ironic twist to his lips.

Emma started, realizing that she had somehow moved so close to Mr. Gold that if she put out her arm, it would touch. Hell, they would crack heads if she took one more step. She stood up and cleared her throat. "I thought I saw something." She muttered.

"Indeed." Something in Mr. Gold's eyes glinted, but she refrained from leaning forward again to try to see what it was. Because it was nothing. "How about you show me why you are so certain that Belle is still alive?"

"Belle..." Emma repeated suspiciously. "That's her name? Short for Izabelle, perhaps?"

"No." Mr. Gold replied unconcernedly. "Just Belle. I believe it is French for 'beautiful'."

"Right." Not like anyone didn't know that little tidbit thanks to Disney. Thanks to Beauty and the Beast. Emma sighed and started walking. She felt a sudden desire to ask Mr. Gold if he had ever kept a woman captive in his house. But she was just as suddenly afraid of the answer. Not from violence on Mr. Gold's part... but because... what if he said yes? What if he said 'of course, in my fairytale castle, I kept a young girl prisoner and she changed me to this'? She snuck a glance at the man walking beside her and huffed at her own foolishness. Mr. Gold was no Prince Charming. If he was the Beast, the taming had obviously failed miserably. Emma skipped a bit at that small reassurance.

OoOoOooo

"Hi, Emma!"

"Ngh." Emma picked up her coffee and took a sip, nearly missing her mouth as her eyes were closed and her hand was shaking.

"What's wrong?" Henry asked. Then, at a whisper. "Is it Operation Cobra?"

"Ngh." Emma grunted again. Though... yeah, ok, it was. How else to define staying up all night with a manic pawn broker poring over city records in search of a woman named 'Belle' being trapped against her will by an unnamed 'Beast'?

Emma noticed when Henry had been silent for more than five seconds. She blearily peeled one eyelid open. Her son's eyes were as wide as saucers and it looked like the only reason his jaw was not hitting the floor was because of the counteracting force of his huge grin. "Ungh... I didn't just say that out loud, did I?"

"Yup!" Henry said cheerfully, his eyes shining. "So you believe me?" He asked, dancing, somehow, without standing up.

"I'm not ruling it out." She muttered. And would likely have regretted it, if she wasn't so damn tired. But, no, it did seem to make Henry happy. "When you have ruled out the impossible..." She quoted halfheartedly.

"Yeah- the curse isn't impossible." Henry grinned.

"Just really, really improbable." She grumbled at her coffee.

OoOOOoO

"What did you do to Henry?"

"Whaa!" Emma started awake and nearly fell off the desk chair she had been perched in precariously.

"Oh, I am so sorry! I thought you were just thinking about something." Mary-Margaret apologized, helping Emma to sit back upright without upsetting the chair further and ending up on the floor.

"Tha's fine, I should be up anyway." Emma yawned. "What time is it?"

"It's time for dinner. When you weren't home yet, I decided to bring you something to eat." She held out a cute little basket with red checkers. "Ruby let me borrow one of her smaller picnic baskets." She beamed.

"Right." Emma rubbed her face. The smell of the food was beginning to wake up her stomach and remind it that it hadn't had anything all day except for coffee. "Thanks."

"Are you alright? It's not like you to sleep at work. And you were out all night last night."

"Yeah, I just got caught up on a lead in this thing I'm working on on the side." Emma said. She flipped open the cloth and practically cried to see the delicious grilled cheese. She promptly stuffed the whole thing in her mouth.

"Emma! Chew your food!"

Emma practically choked on the sandwich. She swallowed in a big gulp then looked up at the smaller woman. "What, are you my mother?" She grinned.

Mary-Margaret chuckled. "I believe I am, according to some." She shook her head. "Well, try not to stay up too late tonight. The Mayor will come and fire you for sleeping on the job."

Emma saluted with the other half of the sandwich. "Yes, Mother."

A huge smile burst into being on Mary-Margaret's face. It startled Emma in its intensity, but before she could fully process it, Mary-Margaret was out the door.

"This town is weird." She grumbled.

OoOOOOOo


	2. Disney Loses Monopoly

The nights were starting to blur with the days, though the work went quicker with two. Although Emma was never totally sure that Gold was being as helpful as he seemed. Scratch that- she _knew for sure_ that he had his own agenda, she just hoped that it was the same as hers or sufficiently dove-tailed that the mission would be accomplished.

Fortunately the two conspirators were taking a break when Regina found them.

"What are you two doing this late at night on town property?" The Mayor asked coldly.

"I don't see how it is any of your business." Mr. Gold replied just as coolly.

"Oh, of course not. Just the two people most likely to plot against me here, at night, acting suspicious." Regina sneered.

"Wow. Ok." Emma said in disbelief. "That was not the first place I would have gone to, coming across two people. You are really paranoid." And correct, but that was beside the point. How to properly deflect her?

"What else would we be doing, my dear?" Mr. Gold asked her sweetly.

Emma glared at him. He was not making this easier.

"Well we aren't vandalizing anything, but it is difficult to find somewhere that Gold doesn't own or the townsfolk are likely to interrupt." Emma crossed her arms and glared haughtily at Regina.

"Interrupt what?" Regina looked at Emma and then Gold suspiciously.

"Our tryst." Gold said baldly. He raised an eyebrow at Emma.

Emma felt a smile stretching her lips. What an old-fashioned way to put it.

"You are not seriously implying... with him?" Regina's face was an amusing mix of disgusted, disbelieving and, faintly, terrified.

"I think she wants proof, love."

Not dearie, 'love'. Emma looked him in the eye but wasn't sure if he was playing along or taunting her. One of her arms dropped out of the defensive posture and slid along the other hesitantly, so that she ended up holding one elbow with the opposite hand. "That seems unusually crass of you, Madam Mayor." Emma said finally, without turning to look at the woman.

"Please. You can stop pretending. I am calling your bluff." Regina sniffed.

Hah! Emma would show her a 'bluff'. She lifted an eyebrow minutely as if to ask 'you game?' Mr. Gold's mouth quirked and she could practically hear 'your move, dearie' in the line of his lips. Emma moved closer and Gold took a half step so that his body was no longer behind the cane. His free hand settled lightly onto her hip and she slid into the gap between his arms. Their lips met softly, but the reaction unexpectedly shivered through her whole body. His lips were... tingly was really all she could do to describe it. Did he wear some sort of lipstick? Based on the eyeliner, she wouldn't put it past him.

"Your mouths aren't even open, I'm not buying it." Regina scoffed. "As I said, there was no way the two of you- he is far, far too old and you are too much of a goody-two-shoes..."

Emma ignored her. She flicked out her tongue to taste his lips. She licked them rather thoroughly, but there was no taste of anything, just that odd buzzing-almost sensation. Gold gasped and Emma snuck her tongue inside, feeling the sensation magnify. Gold was shaking, and Emma didn't particularly care why at the moment; rage, lust, embarrassment- all served her purposes. What was that feeling? It was getting stronger the deeper she went. Her hand wove into Gold's hair and she pulled him to a better angle. Gold did something with his tongue in response that made her knees get rather quivery.

"Oh. My. God."

They pulled back from each other, a bit startled and slightly shaky- Emma had honestly forgotten about the other woman for a moment. They both looked over at the Mayor with satisfied smirks on their faces. They had proven it not to be a bluff... Although, somewhere in there, the reason it had gotten so convincing is that Emma honestly wanted some more.

"That was just... right in front of me no less!"

Both Emma and Gold turned away from each other slowly and blinked up at the Mayor.

"You... that..." Her face went from blank shock to rage in an instant. She pointed at Mr. Gold, her arm shaking. "I know what you are doing and it won't work!" She hissed. "I know you think kissing her will bring it back, but it won't!" She said desperately.

"I'm not sure I know what you are talking about." Mr. Gold purred. His eyes slid to Emma, who turned to look at him curiously. She gasped as she saw that the thin strip of brown around his pupils started to lighten.

"Stop it!" Regina screamed.

Mr. Gold smirked at Emma, his eyes turning dark again as he captured her mouth.

Emma huffed a laugh against his mouth and moved even closer until they were flush against each other. She quickly and happily lost track of why they were making out in the fact that they _were_.

A clatter and the sudden weight of Gold falling into Emma broke them apart this time, Emma feeling a slice of pain. "What the?" She protested, holding Gold up as he hopped on his good leg. Once he was standing on her own she licked her lip and tasted blood. "God dammit!" She hissed.

"You have no... decency!" Regina snarled.

"You started it." Emma snarked back, more than willing to take it out on the instigator turned interrupter.

"Let him go!" Regina pushed the two of them apart.

Which was a bit confusing, as Emma hadn't really noticed they were still flush against each other until suddenly she wasn't resting her cheek on a shoulder anymore. She rubbed the back of her neck, missing the warm puffs of breath. She sighed heavily. She was obviously in need of some action if a little kiss from someone she didn't even like particularly was making her this clingy. She frowned to herself in mild annoyance.

"Now, then, Regina. We were perfectly content to leave it be before you 'called the bluff' as you said." Mr. Gold said, leaning on his cane and looking smug.

Emma looked at the ground in confusion. They were standing on grass. The only thing the cane could have possibly clattered against was the path that Regina was standing on. But for that to have happened, it would have had to fall too far for Gold to have bent quickly and retrieved it. Added to that, she hadn't seen him move. Maybe it was something else that had clattered? But, no, she could see faint scratches on its surface that hadn't been there before. She looked at him suspiciously.

As was Regina. Her hand was clenching spasmodically and her face was white. "That shouldn't have worked..." She whispered in horror.

Emma frowned in confusion. _What_ shouldn't have worked? Her taunt?

"Ah. It worked for another, I believe. Is that not why you crushed a certain... item in your possession?" Mr. Gold asked, sliding a significant look towards Emma. It obviously wasn't meant for Emma, though, as it meant nothing to her, but made Regina go even paler. Which Emma noted in fascination. The woman looked like she was carved from marble.

"This isn't over Ru-" Regina broke off as Gold grinned at her maniacally. "Gold." Regina stuttered.

"If you would leave us? We have a few things to discuss." Mr. Gold grin was feral. "Please."

Regina glared but walked away, her steps choppy.

"That was... odd." Emma said into the silence.

"Ah, love, you wound me." Mr. Gold said theatrically, putting a hand to his chest. "I have ne'er had a maid describe my charms as 'odd'."

Emma felt her lips twitch in amusement. "That is not what I mean and you know it."

"Regina and I have... history."

Emma hmm'ed thoughtfully. As much as she didn't want to consider it... but this whole encounter would make more sense with magic. She scoffed- the Beast already had a True Love; how would she be able to affect him? The thought sort of stung, but in for a penny, in for the whole curse and the fairy tales that went along with it.

No. He probably had just picked up the cane and it hadn't fallen as far as she had thought. Unless she was some odd sort of catalyst? Gramm had acted very odd after she had kissed him- running around with wolves, blabbering about his heart. Could that have been the 'item' that Gold had talked about? Surely not... but maybe? The Queen was said to take hearts in the Snow White story. She felt her heart start to hammer in her chest at the thought, her blood running cold.

"You are thinking quite hard over there, Emma." Gold said softly.

Emma started and looked at him. Her gaze was dragged to his cane. "When did you pick that up?"

"It was never dropped." He replied easily.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "I heard it fall."

"Did you now? What an interesting riddle." He looked at her, face still but somehow intent.

"Did you..." She couldn't say it. This was ridiculous.

"Well, I don't think we need to look here any more." Gold finally said when Emma had stood too long wrestling with herself.

"What do you mean? The city records are here somewhere, we need to find out which buildings have a basement." Emma retorted hotly.

"Well, it was always a bit dangerous to come into the... Mayor's territory like this. I doubt we could scare her off again."

Emma cocked her head at him. The tactic had worked amazingly well... and she wasn't exactly against a repeat. Despite the fact that she really should be. "She seemed sufficiently spooked."

"Not enough to lose her suspicion. The location..."

"Well, then..." Emma's face slid into a grin. "We'll just have to make sure she 'catches' us in other locations."

Mr. Gold looked positively taken aback by that comment. "I'm not sure I follow."

She looked at him askance. "Really?" She asked skeptically.

He winced. "This..." He gestured vaguely. "Was a bad idea. It's not happening again."

Emma blinked and... surprisingly felt the words like a kick to the chest. "Well, ok." She snapped.

"I know where to find Belle." Gold added uncomfortably.

"Oh." Emma felt herself wilt. Of course. Why else would he care that much about her whereabouts? "Right." She rubbed her forehead, but then her head snapped back up. "Hold on. _How long_ have you known?" She demanded.

His smile quirked cutely in the corner of his mouth, which Emma decided not to think about. "I can't say, really. It's been such a long while..."

"You asshole." Emma half growled, half laughed. Of course she should have expected that. "Why did you suddenly decide to tell me?" It couldn't have just been to avoid her jumping him at random places. Though, really, who refused that? Emma certainly wouldn't, apparently even if it were the most feared, presumed evil man in this tiny, inbred town. "Little town, full of little people..." She sang to herself.

"What was that, love?" Gold asked curiously.

"Just Disney." She replied. "Catchy song."

"Disney?"

Emma raised her eyebrow at him. "Yeah, Disney. You know, Magic Kingdom?"

Gold's mouth dropped open. " _What_ did you just say?"

Emma started. "Er... it's a theme park. In Orlando?"

"Orlando..." He said slowly... and mispronouncing it badly.

"Er. Never mind that." Maybe it was because he was foreign? They had one in Europe, though, didn't they? "Back to you not telling me where we need to look?"

"Well." Gold clearly decided to set aside 'Disney' for now. "It has been very helpful having you sleep through the days."

Emma blinked at him, then her gaze sharpened. "What have you been up to?"

"Nothing... overtly illegal." He smirked.

Emma rubbed her forehead. "Alright. Fine. Where are we looking?"

"The hospital." Gold replied.

"Right. I should have guessed that."

"So should we both." Gold left it at that. But Emma could feel the 'but I know why we didn't' hanging off of the end. He was, again, smug.

"Ok..." She prompted.

Gold's eyes were gleaming again. Emma ignored them.

OoOOooOO

"So."

Emma looked up at Ruby and smiled. "So, what?" She asked. She looked down at her coffee, but it was full. She couldn't think of any particular holidays coming up that would warrant a 'girl's night' and it was a Tuesday. "What's up?"

"I hear you are in a relationship with Mr. Gold." Ruby said, grinning conspiratorially.

"Who told you that?" Emma demanded, her face heating.

"Oh. My. God!" Ruby slid into the bench opposite Emma. "Not 'who is spreading lies' but 'who _told_ you?'" Somehow she managed the maneuver without spilling any coffee. She put the pot down on a plate. "Details!"

Emma opened her mouth uncertainly. "Um..."

Ruby blanched. "Ugh. You are right. No details."

Emma grinned wickedly. "Well, you do know what a silver tongue he has, what with the 'deals' he's always making..."

"Finish that sentence and we are no longer friends." Ruby said flatly.

Emma laughed. "Fair enough." She certainly didn't want details about what Ruby did in the basement of the hotel every month. She took a sip of her coffee. And was pleased that the caffeine actually worked. For the first time in weeks she wasn't so tired even espresso couldn't salvage her motivation. Glorious!

Ruby kept fidgeting.

"Do you want details or not?" Emma asked in amusement.

"Well, details but not _details_." She admitted.

"It wasn't anything, really." Emma sighed. "He's not over his last... whatever."

"Ooh. Who was he? Dr. Hopper? I can totally see them together..."

"Ruby!" Emma cut her off, laughing. "He's not gay!"

"How do you know? He turned you down." Ruby said practically.

"He specifically mentioned a girl..." Emma said uncertainly. That would sort of assuage her ego, though...

"Think about it. All that makeup he wears? The expensive suits? He never looks down my blouse, either."

"Maybe he's just polite."

"Honey, everyone looks down my blouse. Even you do."

"I do not!" Emma protested. At Ruby's look, she reluctantly amended. "Well, not on purpose."

Ruby grinned.

Emma sighed. "Well, no matter. It was... not exactly... well... I don't know what it was, really." She scratched the back of her head. "Raging hormones, maybe? It's been a while."

"Yeah... but, honey. Gold?"

Emma shrugged. "He's not..." She hesitated.

"Evil? Manipulative? Old? Uncaring? Short?"

"He's not that short." Emma settled on.

Ruby barked out a laugh at that. "No defending him on the others?"

"What's to defend?" Emma asked rhetorically.

"So, what, he's got a half an inch on you?"

"Maybe two..." Emma allowed. "Three?" She said dubiously.

Ruby started laughing so hard she began to wheeze.

"He's not all bad. The only reason I ever beat Regina is because he is on my side. And... um... it's probably at least a tiny bit because he cares... maybe. When he's not double crossing us for his own purposes. Somewhere, deep, deep... in his... erm..." Emma scratched her head.

"Stop, please!" Ruby wheezed. "You're killing me!"

"Hi, Emma." Henry greeted, looking down at Ruby sitting in his spot with a confused look on his face. "What did you do to her?"

"Heeee!" Ruby squeaked.

"Um..." Henry shifted from foot to foot uncertainly.

"Here, kid, sit next to me."

"Ok." Henry smiled happily and scooted in next to Emma as she slid over. "Is she going to be okay?"

Ruby snorted, then started to wheeze.

"We were just talking about something that she found hilarious." Emma took another sip of her coffee.

"What was so hilarious?" Henry asked, his face screwing up in confusion.

"Listen." Emma said desperately, not wanting to talk about _that_ with her son. "Where is Mr. Gold from?" She changed the subject. It was something she wondered. She was bad at accents, but she thought it was maybe British. Or Australian... or maybe South African. The scratched her head in bemusement.

"Storybrook." Henry said. "I told you- no one leaves."

"No, I mean, where was he born?"

Henry just looked at her, puzzled.

"You know, his accent?" She asked, feeling a bit like she had entered into the Twilight Zone.

"What accent?" Ruby asked in between her gasps. "You can hear some strange way he speaks?"

"Um..." Emma didn't know how to reply to that. "It's not really that subtle." She finally settled on.

"I don't know what you mean." Ruby replied, sober now.

"Yeah. Mr. Gold was born here. Everyone was born here."

"But... he doesn't even know what Disney is!" Emma protested.

"What's Disney?" Henry asked, tilting his head. "Is that an accent?"

Emma literally reeled in shock. She had thought that was something people in corsets did... "Ok, haha, very funny." She laughed nervously. It wasn't the first of April was it?

"Um, ok. If it's supposed to be funny." Henry looked at Ruby but they both shrugged.

"Kid, seriously. Stop it. No, it's not funny." Emma said sternly.

"I'm sorry, Emma." Henry wilted.

"Hey, don't be mean to your brat." Ruby said, putting her hands down on the table. "You're the one talking nonsense."

"Hah... hah... right, nonsense. Like Ms. French ever existing, of course."

"Who?" Henry asked.

Right as Ruby got a blank look on her face, picked up the pot of coffee and walked away.

"Hey, can I get a hot cocoa? With cinnamon?" Henry called after her. "Why did she run away?"

"Operation Cobra." Emma said bitterly.

"Huh?" Henry looked at his mother in confusion.

"Let's just say I'm running out of reasons why people are acting the way they do that doesn't use the 'm' word." Emma sighed.

"Do you mean..."

"Don't say it!" Emma hissed. "I'm having an existential crisis."

"You're having a what?" Henry asked, his face contorting in confusion again.

"Don't worry about it, kid. You'll probably have one when you are older." Emma sighed.

OooOoOoo

Gold met her when she was leaving the diner as she was about to get in her car.

"Isn't this a bit public, too?" Emma asked rhetorically.

"I thought you might need the codes to get into the... dungeon." He said instead of replying.

"That would be helpful, yes." Emma said wryly. "Though kicking in doors is always fun, I assume these are reinforced steel."

"Quite so." He leaned forward, making Emma's heart start to race. He pressed her up against the Bug gently, and put his mouth to her ear, whispering the code. His hair slid in to mask the fact that they were speaking. Instead of doing other things.

"Emma?"

"What!" Emma started, which meant she bucked slightly against Gold. She licked her lips and swallowed slightly.

"I said, did you get that, Emma?"

Emma was tempted to say she hadn't so he would lilt in her ear again. "Yeah."

Gold smirked at her.” Are you quite sure?"

She glared at him. "You are going to solidify all the rumors. What happened to 'this was a bad idea'?"

"What rumors?" He looked positively gleeful.

Emma's throat went a bit dry at how it transformed his face. It was decidedly _wicked_ and was doing things to her hormones that shouldn't be legal. Maybe she could arrest them and put them in jail?

"Emma, dear, you seem to be daydreaming." Gold's eyes were positively dancing. "Whatever could you be thinking about?"

Well, she certainly wasn't going to tell him what she actually was... "Um, well, what is your first name, anyway? You are calling me by mine, it's only fair."

"Why don't you check the archives?" He suggested, pulling away.

"It's not there. Nothing is, really." Emma let him go, sighing in frustration. Because of the archival lack, of course.

"Well, then, love, you will have to guess."

"What do I get if I guess? Straw spun to gold?" Emma smirked at the absolutely poleaxed expression on his face. "Oh, ok, Rumpelstiltskin." She said sarcastically, walking away, shaking her head in annoyance.

"Why did you say that, Emma?" He said so softly she almost didn't hear him.

She turned back, puzzled. He was trying to look nonchalant, but she could see that he was paler that normal and looked a bit peaked. "Isn't that everyone's response to the 'guess my name' game? That was the original, wasn't it?" She frowned in annoyance.

"You people are terrible at fairy tales. I swear." Emma grumbled when he just sat there looking shocked. Which was a bit odd for him, he always seemed so collected. With how into it Henry was, you would think at least some people would know at least the basics! Hell, Gold had given Henry that book. She felt like she was missing something about the whole damn town that everyone else knew. And it wasn't a damn curse, either! Disappearing madmen, social isolation and messed up laws and politics notwithstanding.

"See you around, Rumpelstiltskin." She waved. Before she turned she could see him shudder, but decided that she was going to ignore it. For now, anyway. Unless he really was Rumpelstiltskin? But she had already said he was the Beast... hadn't she? Now she was getting confused.

OoOoo

"Emma!"

Emma turned from where she was fetching her coat. "Oh, hello, Mary-Margaret." Emma smiled. "I was just about to head out to check some things... is something wrong?"

"Emma... " She panted, bracing her hands on her knees.

"Um... are you ok? Aren't you supposed to be in class for that matter?"

"Lunch break." Mary-Margaret gasped. She pulled herself together and stood. "Gold!"

"What has he done?" Emma hunched, wary. "Did he kill someone?"

"What?"

"Or... rather... what about him?"

"Kill someone! Emma! You don't... after... why...?"

"You are going to have to make more sense that that, I'm afraid." Emma said, cocking a hip and putting her fist on it.

"Well, Gold, that is..."

"Yes, yes. What did he do?" Emma sighed. Not murder- that was always good. More arson? Assault?

"Well, um... you."

"Me, what?"

"He, you know, um... did... that is."

Emma's eyes widened and she sank into her desk chair. "How did this get around so fast?"

"Small town." Mary-Margaret said apologetically. "But... you're not denying it. You and he... well, you know...?"

"Had sex?" Mary-Margaret flinched. "Sadly, no."

"Sadly! Emma!"

"Sorry, Mom." Emma rolled her eyes. She did note the pleased flush to her roommate's face, but it didn't seem that was enough to get her to drop it.

"But he's... evil."

"Ok, listen. That has nothing to do with attractiveness!"

Mary-Margaret looked at her dubiously. "So, his personality is rotten, he's old enough to be your father, you _thought he had murdered someone._ Am I missing something?"

"No." Emma said miserably.

"Then... why...?"

"I don't know. It sort of happened. Regina kind of dared me to."

Mary-Margaret stared at her.

Emma scratched the back of her head. "Which makes it sounds worse, doesn't it."

"You let the _Mayor_ watch?" Mary-Margaret looked like someone had hit her on the back of the head.

"Well, I sort of implied we were there to make out, since she thought we were being suspicious, and then..." Emma trialed off. "You know what? It doesn't matter. Nothing happened, it's going nowhere, I'm likely the one he's going to murder when and if anyone mentions these rumors to him." Crap. Except she already had! Maybe if she said " Rumpelstiltskin" three times fast he would magically disappear.

"Emma..." Annoyingly Mary-Margaret was actually making her feel like a teenager instead of a grown woman who could... kiss a guy on a dare. Yeah, real mature.

"He's stuck on his old relationship, I guess. Who I am about to go rescue. Hopefully. You want to come?"

"I have class..."

"You can claim that you thought I was having a psychotic break and needed to be watched." Emma offered.

Mary-Margaret quirked a small grin before she ended up back at looking worried. "I don't know that I don't actually think that."

"Great. Let's go to the hospital."

"I really can't. Have fun, though." Mary-Margaret said. "Please don't... do anything with Gold. There is something not right about him."

"Mom, I won't hang with the wrong crowd, I promise. I'll be back right after school and volleyball practice." Emma said, making her eyes big and batting them hugely.

Mary-Margaret laughed. "Emma, you are a riot!" Her face sobered. "But I'm serious."

"Yes, mother." Emma sighed. Not like she really needed that warning, her head was telling her the same thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Robert Carlyle is Scottish- however Emma doesn't have IMDB to look up Gold's history. And if she did, as per 'the real world' he would have been born in Maine, so that wouldn't help her with the accent.


	3. Kill It With FIRE

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For any butchering of Scottish, I apologize in advance.

Emma stared into the eyes of 'Ms. French' of no first name. Nothing stared back. She waved a hand in front of the girl's face. She blinked one eye. The other remained fixed.

"As you can see, she is mentally challenged." Regina said forcefully. "Now if we can please leave before we upset her?"

Emma turned to the Mayor. "Then why is she labeled 'Prisoner Zero' on the chart?" She challenged.

"Someone must watch too much Doctor Who." The Mayor sniffed.

"Oh come _on_. You know geeky crap like that, but not _Disney_?"

"And maybe we can get you a cell down here for yourself." The Mayor said sweetly.

"See- there you go again- cell! Not 'room'."

"My mistake." The Mayor smiled smugly.

Emma turned back to the girl, kneeling before her. "Come on, honey. You got to give me something, alright." She took the think, pale hand in hers.

The girl jumped.

"That's right, Belle."

Large eyes turned Emma's way.

"How did you know that name?" Regina demanded.

_Score one for me_. Thought Emma. And, you know what, what the hell. "Do you remember your papa?" A tiny nod. "How about Gaston?" She blinked and tilted her head.

"Stop saying things to further her fantasy!" Regina snarled. "Someone go get Hopper." She started to pace behind Emma.

"Regina, just calm down for a second, alright? I am just using some deductive skills to try to get something out of her." Deductive, in this case, being what she remembered from a kid's movie. She turned back to Belle. "You had to go with someone who wasn't very nice, remember? But then you saw he wasn't so bad?"

Belle's eyes drifted to Regina and hardened.

"Well, maybe a different someone, right?" Belle nodded, looking quizzical. "And there was a cup with a chip in it?" And a lisp, but that was probably embellishment.

Belle stiffened so much that she looked like she was going to break. Regina behind them gasped loudly.

Emma smirked. Hit that one... but that meant... not thinking about it, now. "Yes, the bad man saved you from the wolves, didn't he?"

"No." Belle whispered. "Ogres." The last part was almost a wheeze. "Papa?"

Emma grinned triumphantly. "And she speaks."

Regina pulled her back by her shoulder and hauled her to her feet by her lapels. "How did you know those things? What are you playing at? Did Rumpelstiltskin tell you?"

"Rumpelstiltskin?" Emma asked incredulously. "Seriously?" Her eyes widened. "Oh my god. No way." She had been teasing... but... It had to be Gold. It had to be. Which definitely explained the baby fetish- hers and Ashley's. But if Regina thought that... then she really was the Evil Queen. Oh sweet Jesus... magic was real.

Regina looked uncertain, letting Emma go abruptly. "He didn't?"

Emma pulled on her lip uncertainly. Rumpelstiltskin? Did he look different in the fairytale realm? Yikes. Was he even _shorter_? Like a dwarf? With a big nose and warts maybe?

"Pay attention to me!"

"What? No, no... wow. I'm... hmm."

"Speak." Regina hissed.

"Disney."

Regina recoiled. "Is that a spell?"

"Um, no..." Emma said uncertainly. She suddenly realized that she was either down in a basement (dungeon) _alone_ with an Evil Queen or a woman well and truly mad. Either way, she was very, very aware that Regina was between her and the exit.

Regina seemed to come to the same conclusion. Something gathered around her like it had with Gold. This time, though, Emma could feel it like a pressure, like a blistering heat almost. Some reptile part of her brain told her to dive right before a ball of fire shot over her head. "What the!" She scrambled, pulling on Belle to get her moving, just barely missing the second fireball as it hit the bench the girl had been sitting on. "Jesus Christ!" She screamed as another ball of flame sizzled past her. She felt like all the fine hairs on her body were burning... She started to cough, as did Belle. Emma body checked Regina into a wall and darted out into the hallway, slamming the door shut behind her and spinning the lock. "Oh my god oh my god oh my god!"

"Troll!" Belle screamed.

"Shit!" Emma pulled them down just as a hulking orderly swung a meaty fist at where their heads had been. She pulled her gun and smacked him upside the head. The hulk went down like a ton of bricks.

Emma fled the hospital, ignoring everything until she spied Gold's car. She threw the girl inside and shot in after her, slamming the door behind her.

Gold obligingly drove away, ignoring the shouts for him to stop. He glanced back at the pair of them, his eyes darting to one then the other, then back to the road. "Emma, love, you look like a cat whose tail got lit on fire.

Emma started to laugh hysterically. And then cry.

Gold looked back at her, worried. He pulled over in a small side trail in the woods, parked the car and twisted to look behind him. Belle was staring out the window and looking around in awe. Emma was sobbing miserably, curled up into a ball.

"Don't move, dearie." He said to Belle, who nodded absently. "There's my girl." Gold slipped out of the driver's seat and moved around the car, opening the door next to Emma. "Here, then, it's alright, love. What's the matter?" He knelt as best he could with his knee, wincing.

"You have an accent." Emma hiccupped.

"That's right, love, I do..." Gold replied in confusion.

"You think you do?" She asked with a sniffle.

"I should think it was pretty bleeding obvious." He replied dryly.

"I... I don't know what to think anymore. I think I might have gone crazy."

"You're not crazy." Gold soothed. "Tell me what happened." He shifted with a wince.

Emma wiped her eyes, sniffed back some tears, and offered a hand. "You want to sit?" She asked.

"Don't mind if I do, actually." He grunted slightly as she pulled him up. The three were pretty snug in the back seat of the old car. "So, out with it then."

"The Queen knows fire spells." Belle summed up helpfully.

Gold's eyebrows shot into his hair. He turned to Emma and looked deep into her eyes. "You actually do look a bit singed, love." He ran a finger down her cheek. Emma jumped, but all he did was rub his finger against his thumb and then sniff it. "Damn her." He growled. "Are you alright?" He looked Emma over- he ran his fingers lightly against the reddened skin on her forearms.

Emma braced for pain, but only felt coolness. She looked down to see sparks of blue-green dancing over her skin. She sucked in a shocked breath. "Rumpelstiltskin?" She asked.

His brown eyes lifted to hers, questioning.

"That's actually your name, isn't it? Oh God, it's worse than being crazy. It's real." She started to shake.

"Come on, love, it's not so bad." He patted her arm awkwardly. Emma grabbed his suit and clung, shaking like a leaf. Gold looked at Belle helplessly, his arms raised in the air like he was about to conduct an orchestra on how little clue he had on what to do with the situation.

"Oh, Rumple." Belle giggled. It came out rather creepy with disuse. "You never knew what to do with a lady." She shook her finger at him. "Don't make the grumpy face at me."

Gold's mouth opened and closed a few times, aborted words hitting the back of his teeth.

Belle put her hands on his arms and brought them down. "We'll do it together." She rasped. "See?"

"I think, dearie, that nearly thirty years locked in a cell has not been kind to you. I... I thought you were dead." He wriggled unhappily. "I..."

"I know." Belle smiled sadly. "It's alright. You couldn't have known." She coughed a few times.

Gold looked down at Emma's shaking form unhappily. But he should have known. Snow and Charming had certainly proven it time and again. Always there for each other in the nick of time. And... Belle's kiss had started to change him back. Surely that was breaking the curse? Surely that had to mean... He looked up at Belle and tightened his arms uncertainly around their breaking savior.

OoOoOOOOo

When they got back to town, the place was in an uproar; the hospital was engulfed in flames.

Emma gulped, squared her shoulders, and rushed off into the thick of it, leaving Gold and Belle standing alone.

"Well, that's rather anticlimactic, isn't it?" Gold leaned on his cane bemusedly. He had thought there would be arguments, recriminations, an uproar about a patient escaping, etc. But that was all rather moot, now.

"She was using fuel-less fire." Belle commented.

Gold winced. He hobbled over, following the path Emma took, feeling suddenly very old and tired. Fuel-less fire- what had the woman been thinking?

"I know it started in a section of the basement that isn't on the map. I want to know how it spread!" Emma was saying.

"How do you know that?" Mary-Margaret asked, eyes wide. "Did..." Her eyes jumped to Gold and she stiffened.

"No, dearie. It wasn't my work this time." Gold smirked weakly.

"Rumple is going to kill the fire." Belle added.

"Um, who?" Mary-Margaret asked.

Hopper peered at the pale waif in confusion.

"She means Gold." Emma rubbed her hands over her scorched arms. She looked at Gold, who was staring at the fire and looking defeated. "You can, can't you?"

"Emma, first Disney, then... well, now this?" Mary-Margaret hissed. "Have you lost your mind?"

"I kind of hope so, but sadly, I doubt it." Emma replied unhappily.

"You lost yours, Snow." Belle said.

"Snow?" Mary-Margaret blinked. "That's what Henry calls me."

Emma sidled up to Gold. "So... you can do something, can't you?" She asked hesitantly.

"All magic comes with a price." Gold said easily, lifting an eyebrow at her.

"I wish you wouldn't use the 'm' word." Emma muttered. She started shaking again. "I'm also pretty sure you already took my first-born child, not that I got anything for it."

"So you did, love- want to make it official?" Mr. Gold looked positively _energized_ at the thought. Emma was a bit thrown.

"Er...?" Emma said uncertainly.

Gold rolled his wrist and from nowhere a piece of paper appeared. Mary-Margaret squeaked and took a step back and Emma gulped. "Here, love. Just sign on the dotted line. Your first-born for the hospital."

"And all inhabitants." Emma added.

He sighed. "Fine."

Emma took the paper from him and started to read.

"Love, we really don't have time for this." Gold wheedled.

"Hah! Yeah right. I would have read this with a magnifying glass even _before_ I learned that you were **the** mythical trickster and deal-maker." Emma muttered, following her place with a finger as the writing was so cramped.

"Don't you trust me?" He asked. When she looked up at him skeptically he put his hand to his chest and smiled slightly. "You wound me."

"You were going to let the people burn." Emma pointed out.

"You didn't ask for them to be spared." Gold replied calmly.

"Emma, don't sign." Mary-Margaret said, wringing her hands. "I don't know why, but it is a very, very bad idea."

"You have another suggestion?" Emma asked. "I would love to hear it. If I see any more... magic..." She winced. "I am going to have another nervous breakdown far before I can make it back to the bar and forget this whole day."

"Well... no..." Mary-Margaret held her head in her hands. "I can't remember..." She groaned.

"Don't hurt yourself, dearie." Gold sneered.

Emma grabbed his shoulder to get his attention. "Listen- you are right. People are dying. And I assume... that is to say, I rather hope... well, I mean... Can you bring back the dead?" Because there had to be some limits and rules to this magic stuff, right? That's how it was in all the stories- 'phenomenal cosmic power, itty bitty living space...' If he could, though, then it didn't matter if she took all week, did it?

"No." Gold's eyes shadowed and he looked down.

"Right. Well, then. Time is essential." Emma swallowed and squeezed his shoulder. "Can I trust you? That if I sign this, I won't regret it?"

Gold sighed, turning over the balance of this in his head. "You are not making this very fun." He protested.

"So..."

Gold wiped his hand down the page and the words shifted under his fingers like tiny spiders crawling over top of each other. He pointed to a clause that ended up tucked in a huge wall of text. Emma glanced at him. It didn't seem really necessary to make it this complicated. Gold shrugged. He didn't seem too bothered by the clutter. But then again, summoning all those words may be difficult. Or a habit. Or something.

Gold proceeded to explain.” Here, see. I am only taking your son retroactively from birth to one month old." His long finger skimmed and stopped at another section cramped in the corner. "And here is where everyone left alive is saved, and the building put back to rights."

"What's all the rest of it, then?" Emma asked.

Gold frowned at her.

"Ok, not important, gotcha." Emma picked up the quill dubiously.

"It's nonsense. To make your brain tired." Belle said.

"What?"

"The stuff in the middle."

Emma flicked her gaze to Gold, then Belle, then to the contract. "Well, here goes the last of my sanity." She commented. And signed it. She would have liked to say 'with a flourish' but she didn't know how to use a quill and ended up snapping the tip twice, despite it being a magical quill. She gave up after 'Emmc' had been written.

"Good enough, love." Gold chuckled. He snapped his wrist and the paper disappeared. Emma gulped nervously. Gold hobbled forward a few steps then stopped, his stance wide. He lifted his cane and started to weave a complicated pattern in the air. Darkness followed the path of fingers and wood.

"Oh, my god." Mary-Margaret whispered.

"Rumpelstiltskin, actually." Emma corrected, also at a whisper as her wide eyes followed the darkness. Which was awesome and terrible- it was impossible to focus on and was boiling out of Gold like his body was the gate to the underworld.

After a huge cloud had formed, Gold pushed with his arms. The darkness raced towards the flames, devouring it. Deep within it, flashes of light could be seen, before the whole scene was abruptly just an afterimage on their retinas.

Blinking, Emma almost missed Gold start to sway. She raced forward and caught him as he collapsed. "I thought I wouldn't have to keep catching you. Can't you just stand like a normal person?"

"Oidhche mhath." He muttered in reply, panting, his eyes starting to roll up in his head.

"What did he say?" Emma asked, worried.

"Good night. Didn't you hear him?" Mary-Margaret asked.

Emma stared at her. "That is not what he said."

"Yes." Belle confirmed. It wasn't clear is she was confirming that she also understood him, or Emma's comment about it not being what he said. Or maybe both.

Emma laid Gold down and rubbed her eyes. "This is all a crazy dream. I will wake up tomorrow and the world will make sense." She muttered. "Yes it will."

OoOOOoo

In fact the world made even less sense in the morning. Emma and the rest of the town had spent the entire night searching the hospital for the dead and the living. It was surreal and creepy- the bodies were burnt, charred, obviously in terrible pain before dying. The living were... fine. At least, physically. Mentally they were shaken, knowing how critically some of them had been wounded, how certain of their deaths just moments before... poof. It was all better again. Especially the ones unlucky enough to be in a room with someone who had died. They found David hunched next to three bodies. Mary-Margaret stayed with him.

Which left Emma to brave the basement by herself. She crept down the stairs, warily. Looking for any sign of fire. There was none, of course; everything was pristine. "This is going to make figuring out what happened a bit tricky..." Emma muttered. They would only be able to tell by which rooms people had died in and which they hadn't.

The nurse had fled, but the man she knocked unconscious was outside in the hallway, coming around with a groan. Emma let out a sigh of relief she hadn't known she was holding. So the fire hadn't come out the hallway, then. Emma unbolted the door and gingerly swung it open. She sucked in her breath in a horrified gasp. Regina... Regina was dead.

Emma swallowed and backed up. She needed to tell Henry. But... her eyes flicked down the hallway. There were other rooms. She opened up the next, and the next, trying to formulate what in the world she was going to say with Henry. She was so focused on that she almost shut the door right on an arm.

Emma hastily swung it back open and gaped.

"I'm hungry. Why haven't you brought me breakfast?" Kathryn Nolan asked.

"Because..." Emma replied, trailing off dumbly. "Because, you are being released?" She said hesitantly.

"Oh, good. Regina never could give me a reason why I was down here. She was supposed to be a friend, but I don't think that it was particularly friendly of her to lock me in the basement of the hospital. But I can't really be sure. What do you think?" Kathryn said, oddly distant.

"I think that that is really horrible." Emma replied honestly. "Aren't you mad? Upset?"

"I suppose I should be, shouldn't I? Funny." Kathryn breezed by Emma, gathering the scrubs around herself and almost floating up the stairs like she hadn't a care in the world.

"Really weird." Emma muttered to herself. She wondered if there would be a point where this all made sense, or if she would just keep getting surprised. She had a sudden, intense desire to have gone abroad. Her high school English teacher had insisted that seeing other cultures broadened the mind. Emma would give just about anything to be able to have a context in this situation. Though... probably nowhere on Earth would have prepared her for this shit.

They made it to the front entrance, where several people were sitting in the waiting rooms, talking, about half of them wrapped up in blankets and looking shocky, the other half looking slightly less shocky, but without extra warming devices. Everyone looked equally cold. Kathryn made straight for her husband and his lover.

"Kathryn?" David gasped, clutching the blanket tight across his shoulders.

Emma fled from the ensuing drama, leaving the two to try to figure out what the hell had happened to Kathryn. Emma didn't want to deal with it. She was almost positive the answer involved the 'm' word, though there was faint hope that someone had switched out a pig or deer heart or something, and added DNA from Kathryn. Hah! Yeah, right.

Not that she really wanted to do what she was fleeing to, either. She had a list of confirmed dead and the children whose parents they were. It was thankfully a short list, but there was one name that jumped out at her. One she knew that she was going to have to deal with herself. She got into her patrol car and headed toward the school, two sets of parents coming with her.

Emma let all the adults out of her car and stood, staring at the school. They had gathered all of the children to let them know what was going on. Well, not so much gathered in a lot of cases, as it was time for school to start. But for the unfortunate children, who had to be picked up by teachers, it was either going to be a relief or a huge heartache in a few minutes.

"Emma." Dr. Hopped saw her and came over. "Regina?"

Emma shook her head.

"Ok." Dr. Hopped took off his glasses, fiddled with them, and put them back on his nose. "I know that Henry called her the 'Evil Queen' but he did still have an emotional connection and needs that he got through her."

Emma nodded, gulping.

"You're all he has left right now." Dr. Hopper said gently. "Do you want me to come in with you?"

Emma nodded again, more vigorously.

"Ok. I'm right with you." He said.

Emma squared her shoulders and walked into the school. She hung back as Dr. Hopper called Henry from the classroom and took him to a nearby office. Henry smiled uncertainly up at the two adults. Emma put a hand on his shoulder and guided him over to sit in a chair, then knelt in front of her son.

"Henry, we have some bad news." Emma said.

"Is... where's my mother?" Henry asked. He looked at Dr. Hopper than back at Emma. "Is she hurt?"

"She's... gone, Henry." Emma said gently. "We think it was painless."

Henry's face turned sheet white. "What?"

"There was a fire at the hospital." Emma generously didn't mention that the Mayor had started it. With fireballs. Magic... oh boy. "She ended up trapped and was probably unconscious quite quickly."

"Can I see her?" Henry asked, his voice catching.

"I don't think that's a good idea, Henry." Dr. Hopper said. "Fire is not kind to the body."

Henry's eyes welled up. "But... she can't be dead! How can she be dead?" Henry stood, shoving the chair back. "We're still here, the curse didn't break."

"Henry..." Dr. Hopper said sadly. Emma, however, thought he rather had a point.

Henry turned back to Emma, his eyes round. "You killed her, didn't you!" He accused.

"Henry! Now is not the time to be saying things like that! Of course Emma didn't kill her." Dr. Hopper said forcefully.

"I can tell. Your face. You did kill her, didn't you?" Henry's tears started to fall and he shook his head. "I knew it, I knew it!"

"Henry, it wasn't like that- she was trying to kill me..." Emma tried to reach out to her son, but he shied away. "I know, Henry. I know that magic is real. She knew I knew and..." Emma closed her eyes. "She threw fire at me. I could feel her gather it." She shook as well.

"Emma, can we talk outside?" Hopper asked urgently.

"Fire... magic?" Henry choked out, now crying in earnest.

"I am so sorry, Henry. I am so, so sorry." Emma whispered morosely. Henry threw himself into her arms and she held onto him tightly. They were both crying, clutching each other pathetically.

After they had both calmed down, Henry was still full of questions. Hopper had disappeared at some point, which was puzzling, but Emma couldn't spare much thought for it. Maybe the man had gone to get someone to take them both away.

"But." Henry sniffled. "I don't get why the curse is still in place."

"I guess defeating her wasn't the key." Emma rubbed her arms against each other, feeling cold.

"I guess not." Henry sighed. "You were looking for Belle, weren't you?" He asked.

"I found her. And I brought her out of her comatose state." Emma rubbed her forehead. That hadn't been part of Gold's plan, but had really seemed like the right thing to do at the time. Plus... it really, really shouldn't have worked.

"How?" Henry asked.

"I reminded her of her past."

"How?"

Emma snorted. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

That startled a small, short smile out of Henry. "Ok. Well, who is the Beast?"

"Rumpelstiltskin." Emma quirked the side of her mouth.

"You know who he is?" Henry asked, eyes wide.

"Mr. Gold." Emma confirmed.

"Oh!" Henry hit his head. "That's so obvious."

"It is, isn't it?" Emma smiled sadly. "Listen, kid, um... we've got a couch, at Mary-Margaret's place. If you don't want to... stay in the house."

"Oh." Henry looked down at his clasped hands and sniffled. "Right."

"I'm not letting you go this time, ok?" Emma side-hugged him from where they were sitting on the office couch. "I made sure that was in the deal."

"You made a deal?" Henry asked, backing up.

"To save the hospital." Emma shifted nervously. "It was retroactive as I had never really made a deal to give you away. It seemed wrong to take those things the man offered me at the time. I just wanted you to go to a good home." She tried to remember back- it must have been Gold, right? She couldn't really remember the face. Which seemed concerning.

"You made sure it was ok?" Henry asked nervously.

"Well, there wasn't time..."

"You didn't read it!" Henry gasped.

"I had to trust him." Emma said defensively. "I already owe him a favor, and that benefited him as much as me, I think, to not let the town get consumed in flames."

"I don't want to live with Rumpelstiltskin!" Henry cried.

"Henry, I won't let him take you, alright. I'm your birth mother. I have next right to you. Not some older businessman."

"What about a Dark One?" Henry muttered sullenly.

"We're still in this world, so we play by its rules, ok?" She ruffled his hair and he sighed gustily. "I'll take you back to your classmates." She led him back to the room, but there were only two children there. "Did everyone else get released?" She asked the two remaining kids.

"Who?" The girl asked, tilting her head.

"Your classmates." Emma replied warily.

"What classmates, Emma?" Henry asked. "Jack and Jill are the only kids in my class besides me."

Emma felt a chill run up her spine. "I need to go talk to Mr. Gold." She muttered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mr. Gold says 'good night' in Scottish. At least, that's what Wikipedia says. Please forgive me if he's calling your mother a wench or something. Though, in the circumstances, that might be as appropriate haha.


	4. Running in Sand

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize in advance for my "Scottish". I'm American, I know it's butchered, but unless or until some helpful person can edit it for me, it is what it is. I did try... Hopefully I didn't insult anyone's mother or anything lol.

 “Where's Gold?” Emma asked at the hospital front desk.

 

“They took him to your office.” The woman replied.

 

“Aren't you... one of the nuns?” Emma asked warily. “And why would he be in my office? I thought he collapsed?”

 

The woman looked up. “Yes, all the nurses have been disappearing, so they asked us to come help. Some of the younger nuns have vanished as well.” She sighed, looking rather put upon. “And yes, Mr. Gold did collapse. That's the only way we were able to get him into the cell, where he belongs.”

 

“Belongs?” Emma asked in bewilderment. “What did he do this time?”

 

“He doesn't need to _do_ anything. He just needs to be locked up and stay out of our hair.” The nurse said nastily.

 

Emma backed away, even more perturbed. It was a quick trip to the sheriff's office. When she entered she could see a huddled form on the cell's bed and she strode over there immediately, pulling out her key ring to find the one that opened the lock.

 

“Hey, I wouldn't do that.”

 

“Leroy.” Emma turned to face the shorter man. “What are you doing here?”

 

“I'm making sure he doesn't try anything funny.” Leroy growled, eying the pile of blankets with disdain.

 

“For God's sake, the man is obviously ill.”  
  


“That's what he wants you to think.” Leroy grumbled.

 

“Unless you are going to stop me, I'm going in there.”  
  
“I won't stop you from going in, highness, but I will stop _him_ from leaving.”

 

“Alright.” Emma darted into the cell, making sure she pulled the key out and took it with her. She turned her attention to Gold. Or, well, she assumed it was Gold. He was huddled under the thin blanket, shivering constantly with huge shudders every so often. “Hey.” She put her hand on his shoulder. He started violently and almost cracked his head against the wall, saved only by the pull of the blanket wrapped tight around him.

 

“Go away.” Slurred out from under the blanket.

 

“Gold, I need to know that you are alright.”

 

“I'm ob'v'ysly na' alrie.” He muttered.

 

“Are you hurt?” Emma asked. Every time she tried to touch him, he started violently again.

 

“W'sh I'ws.” He moaned. “Hurts... hurts 'nsie.”

 

“Hurts?” Emma rubbed her forehead in frustration before clenching her jaw stubbornly and forceably ripping the blanket off of his head and shoulders. The face that stared up at her... “Uh...” Emma said dumbly. “Gold?”

 

Crooked yellow teeth bared at her and the eyes gleamed. His skin was greenish in most places, sometimes yellowed, the occasional sheen of sweat or... something else... marring his complexion. His eyes were fevered, dark, but with a hint of gold sparking in them.

 

“Wow. You look like you got into a fight with a phosphorescent fungus and lost.” It slipped out before she could edit the thought.

 

Gold barked out a laugh, then started to cough.

 

“Hey, now, relax.” Emma rubbed circles on his back and this time he let her. “Can you tell me what the hell is going on? People are disappearing, no one seems to have any kind of ability to remember things, Leroy called me 'highness' and... well, you look like you are about to die. Frankly.”

 

Gold groaned. “I dinnae, fae done me in, the curse.”

 

“I can't understand you like everyone else can when you don't speak English, by the way.” Emma advised him, still rubbing soothing circles on his back. He was burning up- she could feel it through the layers of the suit. “Something to do with the curse?” He nodded sharply. “Henry asked how it could still be here when... when Regina is dead.”

 

“You spad t'Queen?!?” He groaned and tried to bring up a hand, but failed. He sat, panting. “Well, innae a wonder, then, is't?”

 

“Um...”

 

“Curse's all on me.” Gold's eyes started to close. “Condemn thaim all perpetualie to the deip pit of hell...”

  
“Gold.” She shook him. He didn't respond. “ Rumpelstiltskin!” He started back awake, staring at her with huge eyes. “What do we have to do to break it? Can you just let it go?”

 

“Ngh.” He sighed. “Give Kathryn back her heart.” He said, trying very hard to pronounce it.

 

“You can't just end it?” She asked urgently.

 

Gold shook his head.

 

“Her heart?” Emma muttered. Then her eyes snapped to him. “Ugh... that was her real heart?” But he wasn't responding. “How the hell do I give it back to her?”

 

OOOoOO

 

In the end, it wasn't hard to find. It was in the morgue, labeled “Kathryn Nolan”. Finding the living person (that was so odd) was harder. It probably shouldn't have been, all things considered. Where else would two newly liberated prisoners stay but at Granny's Inn?

 

Emma ran up to the lobby, where Ruby, Belle, Kathyrn and Granny were all enjoying a nice cup of tea. How nice for them. Emma, panting, held out the heart in its little baggy. “Ok, guys, you aren't going to believe this, but I have Kathryn's heart in my hand.”

 

All four stared at her.

 

“Emma! We are eating!” Granny scolded, scandalized.

 

“I know, I'm sorry, but this is sort of a matter of life-or-death.” Emma regained her breath- she needed to work out more- she couldn't have been running more than a few miles, with stops no less. “Right. So we need to get the heart back in your chest. Somehow. I guess. Damn. I should have asked for better directions.”

 

“Emma, you are not making any sense whatsoever.” Ruby said frankly. “Have you slept in the past oh, few days? Maybe things will seem better after a nice nap?”

 

“Are you insane!?” Emma barked. “There is no time.”

 

“Why wouldn't there be time? Isn't it stopped in this world?” Belle asked vaguely.

 

“It was stopped, but it's going fast now.” Emma replied. “Speaking of which, if we don't hurry I think Gold is going to die... or rot... or well, something bad is going to happen to him anyway. He's getting sort of green and fuzzy.”

 

Belle gasped. “His curse is returning?” She looked upset. “I was so happy to see him as a man.”

 

Ruby put a comforting arm over her shoulder. Belle leaned into it and sighed. Emma's eyebrow rose at the sight. She had never seen Ruby so... cuddly before.

 

“Ok, guys! We finished the scones... Emma!” Mary-Margaret grinned at seeing her. “David and I made extras, so you can have some, too.”

 

Emma scratched her head. She was hungry, but... “Why aren't you at our apartment?” Emma asked in confusion. “And why are we eating at the inn and not the diner?”

 

“Oh, dear. I think you do really need to get to bed.” Granny shook her head sadly. “We all live here. And I don't even know what a 'diner' is.”

 

Emma gulped. Buildings were disappearing now, too? How soon before the one they were sitting in dissolved? “Um. Right. Well, then. I suppose that I should take one to go. Lot to do... maybe I'll catch a few winks...” Like, after the apparently fast approaching Armageddon.

 

Emma walked up to Kathryn, who regarded her with a blank expression. Emotionless. Cold. Emma held up the lump of meat and wondered how it could be that her life had come to this. “I really should have just kidnapped Henry and gone to Florida.” Emma grumbled. Without any further warning, she opened the red plastic bag and dumped the heart into Kathryn's lap.

 

For a few seconds, it seemed like nothing was going to happen and that Emma had just poured biohazard all over the former-murder-victim's lap. She was about to start apologizing profusely when the heart started to rise into the air. It turned a vibrant fuchsia and began to beat. Emma and the rest of the room looked at it, mouths dropped open in shock.

 

The heart slowly rotated and then, seemingly satisfied with orientation, slammed into Kathryn's chest, almost knocking the chair over. Kathryn threw back her head and fuchsia light poured from her mouth, her eyes, her ears. Her nose. In fact, her whole body sort of.... glowed for a few seconds. And then, just as abruptly, it stopped.

 

Kathryn was flopped against the chair. No one could gather the courage (or wits, really) to do anything to help her. Suddenly, she took a huge gasp and sat bolt upright, causing everyone to jump. She whipped her head around to focus on Emma. “Or you should have not killed my friend, you witch!” Kathryn hissed.

 

It took Emma a brief pause to realize to what the other woman was referring. “After that you complain about the Evil Queen's death? Some friend! Locking you in the dungeon! And, might I add, if Henry and I were in Florida right now, we would not be in this mess and you could have your fake friendship with your evil friend who was keeping your husband from you!” Emma burst out, feeling frustrated, dirty, hungry, and worn out. She glanced out the window. It still looked like Maine. Not good?

 

Emma looked back in surprise at the sound of Kathryn bursting into messy tears.

 

“Kathryn, it's alright, dear, we're here for you.” Mary-Margaret looked at Emma and asked, “What did you do to her?” in a shocked voice.

 

“Well, I gave her back her heart, I guess. Physically... ish and metaphorically.” Emma said, shrugging. “Hooray for magic?” She received several glares after that pronouncement. And almost grinned. So far, that had been the only use of the 'm' word that had been rather satisfying. She was extremely tempted to quote Gold 'comes with at price' bit, but now was probably not the time for being an ass, as fun as that would be. “Well. It looks like we are still in Storybrooke, so... any ideas?”

 

Emma looked outside again. The tree line was starting to look like a Bob Ross painting and the buildings, she swore, looked like a train set. Emma growled in frustration. And worry. But she was not going to admit that to anyone. Even if they would listen and comprehend... how did one prepare for the world literally dissolving around you? Would they be left in the middle of a forest? Would they cease to exist? Would they end up back in that other world? Naked? On a mystical stone or some shit?

 

“She has her heart, but not anything to put inside it.” Belle said softly.

 

“Like what?” Emma asked skeptically.

 

Belle looked at her, eyes wide as if the answer should be obvious. “Her love, of course.”

 

“Right. Well. Her love is a gold statue according to Henry. Good luck finding that.” Though, to be fair, odds were it was in Gold's shop.

 

“What is going on?” David asked, coming in from the kitchen with an armful of scones straight from the oven on a lovely platter. He took in the scene of Kathryn openly weeping with the consternation of a true male.

 

“Magic is, apparently, real. Or else I have gone completely off the deep end or am having a really terrible nightmare.” Emma replied. She scratched her head. “I don't suppose you all know that Gold has a shop?”

 

“Of course!” Granny said disdainfully. “It's right next door.”

 

“It is?” Last that Emma was aware, it was nearly half a mile away. She should know- she had just run from it.

 

“Yes, it's always been.” Granny said.

 

“Well, I guess let's go there.” Emma sighed. Nothing for it but to keep moving, even if she felt like she was in a crappy version of Final Fantasy at the moment. Since they had mentioned sleep, Emma was practically fantasizing about flat surfaces.

 

“Whatever for?” Granny asked.

 

“We're going!” Emma barked, and walked out into the half-unreal world. She ignored the distant horizon as it was not quite standing still and she didn't want to vomit bile on the.... dammit. The sidewalk looked like a cross between plywood and fairy dust overlaid on concrete. “Right now, all of you.” She added at a growl.

 

The store was gloomy, but reassuringly solid. Though it was much less cluttered and certain items were translucent, the structure itself was firm, dusty, a bit dingy, and very, very real. “Well, it's good this was so close to the inn.”

 

“What inn?”

 

Emma didn't even look to see who had made that comment. She just walked to the back of the store where the large, expensive items were kept. “There is a god.” Emma groaned in appreciation. There was a ridiculously detailed statue of a man with a sword. It looked exactly like the one in Henry's book. “So, Kathryn...” But Emma trailed off. The woman was already walking forward, her hand extended.

 

The second her finger touched gold, she disappeared in a shower of glittery sparkles. Emma had sort of been expecting it, so only jumped a little bit.

 

She looked outside. Still in Storybrooke! Though now the outside of the store resembled the town square, so it appeared they had moved again. Emma rubbed her head and sighed in frustration. She was about one more miniquest away from lying down and crying until the world ended. Her conscience floated an image of Gold, half-transformed and shivering, before her eyes. She sighed again. Right. She looked up at her entourage. Which had at some point lost Granny as well. Emma hoped that she made it to wherever they were all going. It left only four people- Mary-Margaret, David, Ruby and Belle.

 

“You two!” She pointed at her (she supposed) parents. “Kiss, now. Like you mean it!”

 

“Now wait a minute!” Mary-Margaret protested.

 

“Might not have a minute.” Emma pushed her hands together in a 'kiss already' sort of gesture. David shrugged and swept Mary-Margaret off her feet, kissing her so blindingly that... no... that was the magic. Transporting them... somewhere. Emma smiled briefly, before she looked out the window. At Storybrooke, Maine.

 

“Damn it all to hell and die in fiery cinders in the pit of despair!” Emma screamed in frustration. What the hell was she supposed to do now?

 

Ruby and Belle looked at Emma from where they had been staring at the afterimage of David and Mary-Margaret.

 

“Um... Ruby?” Belle said timidly.

 

Ruby quirked a smile at her. “Yeah, ok.” She replied. Emma was about to ask 'ok, what' when the two came together for the sweetest god damned kiss. If she were into narrating her life, she would have started quoting the beginning of “A Princess Bride.” Unfortunately, there wasn't time for that at the moment.

 

The pair disappeared in a similar fashion as had David and Mary-Margaret, leaving Emma quite confused. Wasn't Belle _Rumpelstiltskin's_ True Love? What was up with Ruby all of a sudden? But there wasn't time to worry about that, either, at the moment. Though it did take one item off of her 'To Do' list. There was no way she could have gotten to the sheriff's office, anyhow. She could see it, barely, off in the distance, but there was a whole sea of fog between her and it. No point in going there, now, with no one to kiss Gold.

 

She paced in front of the store window, thinking furiously. The ground outside started to lose its color- for a second, Emma thought she was passing out. But no, the grass was definitely turning grey. The shop was beginning to be on an island of solidity, though the town square was just barely holding on as another nidus. The clocks inside the shop started to slow, almost sounding like a heart beat, which really scared her. If she was getting her symbolism correctly, which she probably wasn't, thinking back to her English grades... but this seemed pretty obvious. Shop= Gold's life. Town square = the curse.

 

Well, nothing for it, then. She ran from store, toward the color rapidly fading from the center of the square. A couple of times it felt like running through sand as the world seemed to lose cohesion right under her feet. She looked around desperately. Surely there would be some clue? She was desperately hoping that she was in fact the hero in this story. Fate would be on her side, then, right?

 

There, in the center of town- the clock tower! It was the only thing that still seemed real in the rapidly greying landscape.

 

She burst into the base of it and raced up the stairs, finding herself at the back of the clock, which was clicking along at much too fast a pace. In front of it, there was a roiling maelstrom of darkness. She could feel the malevolence coming off of it. Emma gulped. She looked out the window and saw the entire landscape shattering and shaking itself apart. Mr. Gold's shop was being crushed under the weight of it, the whole building tilting to the side and gaining cracks. The glass shattered and Emma's heart started to race.

 

Somehow, though, she knew what to do.

 

Holding tight to the star of her badge with her left hand and brandishing her gun like an ungainly sword in her right, she yelled at the mass. “I am not afraid of you! I make my own happy endings!” The seriousness of the moment was broken slightly as she got a very odd mental image that involved ice cream, oral sex, and a hurricane. It did, however, serve to make her claim one hundred percent true. She was not afraid. She lept forward into the mess, screaming as it seemed to rip into her, getting under her skin, into her joints, filling her lungs and drowning her. She gritted her teeth against the pain, holding the screams behind her teeth

 

Faintly, in the distance, she could hear 'all magic comes with a price!' in annoying sing-song, accompanied by a delighted giggle.

 

Emma's last thought was that she hoped to God she had saved Gold's life. Because she wanted the pleasure of murdering him.


	5. Changeover

 Emma came to with a groan, finding concerned faces over her head. She swatted at one of them, but her arm was really heavy.

 

“Give her space!” Someone shouted.

 

“Or take that sword!” Laughed another.

 

Sword? Emma thought. Groaning, she tried to sit up. Her whole body was heavy. And... clanged? She looked down at herself. She was in full plate armor, a shield strapped to her left arm and a broadsword in her right. “What the hell just happened?” Emma asked, blinking.

 

“The knight awakens!” There were cheers, which set Emma's head pounding. She dropped the sword and rubbed her forehead, but not before banging her wrist on her visor.

 

“I am going to kill someone.” Emma growled. Who? To be determined. The loud asshole that was chortling to her left was high on the list, though...

 

“Emma, dear.”

 

Emma blearily looked up at a face that swam into focus reluctantly. “Mary-Margaret?” Emma asked in confusion. The woman's hair was long and she was wearing... a fur cloak. But the face was definitely familiar.

 

“That's my curse-world name.” Mary-Margaret smiled. “My real name is Snow White.”

 

Emma blinked at her, then at David, who was wearing what looked like quilted velvet. “Um.”

 

“Hi, Emma.” David smiled.

 

Emma pinched her cheek, hard. “Ow!”

 

“Dear, why did you do that?” Mary-Margaret... er... Snow White asked.

 

“Try to wake myself up.” Emma shook her head. “I guess this means the curse is broken, then.” She huffed in surprise.

 

“Yes, you did it!” Snow White smiled. “We are so sorry you had to go through all of that, Emma. But in the end, you vanquished the Evil Queen and restored everything to how it was supposed to be.”

 

Emma winced. They were so blasé about it. Vanquished. What a terrible word. It meant kill in cold blood, didn't it? Provoked self-defense? She sighed. “Well I'm sure Henry is enjoying this.”

 

“Who?” David asked. Or whatever his name was now.

 

“Henry. My son.” Emma said, slowly, ice clawing up her chest.

 

“I'm afraid that our memories of the curse are very fogged...” Snow said uneasily.

 

“There is no boy named Henry that came over. Not that we have accounted for.” David said. “Red!”

 

“On it.” A woman in a red cloak nodded, leading away another woman in a blue dress.

 

“Ruby...?” Emma called after in confusion, but got no response.

 

“I know this must be extremely disorienting for you. We were hoping that you wouldn't have to be... so...” Snow said.

 

“Old?” Emma winced, then stood up. “I need to find Henry.”

 

“Emma, dear, if he was a product of the curse... then maybe...” Snow said hesitantly.

 

“Oh, no you don't. He is the only one that believed in you all. He brought me to break the curse.” Snow and Charming looked at each other uncertainly. “Hell, I made a deal with Gold for him.” Emma said in annoyance. She glanced in irritation at her sword, remembering her suspicions about what Gold had done with his cane that one night, reached out her hand and _willed_ it to come to her. It jumped into her hand like a lightsaber to a Jedi. “Wicked.” She grinned.

 

There were gasps.

 

Emma looked up to see horror on people's faces.

 

“Witch!” Someone cried. It looked like the post man... in a leather jerkin.

 

“What?” Emma sheathed her sword, then started. How the hell had she known how to sheath a sword? “I just channeled Luke Skywalker for a second.”

 

That seemed to confuse people enough that the mob fever that had been raising paused slightly.

 

“Alright, people, enough! She defeated the Queen, she's just confused. Move out!” David barked, sounding so authoritative that Emma was again surprised. She had a feeling that would happen quite a bit.

 

“So... not supposed to do magic, then?” Emma asked wryly. But her amusement quickly faded. “I need to find Henry. He was at the school. Did you find Jack and Jill?”

 

“Yes, we did, they were in one of the gardens.”

 

Emma started forward, walking in a random direction.

 

“You don't even know where you are going.” Snow followed. “Emma, dear, what I am trying to say is that if he was a product of the curse, I mean to say, if he was half from that curse-made-world, then maybe he... wasn't entirely real.”

 

Emma stared at her. “I cannot believe you just said that. There, this world is fantasy- books! You all were completely and totally oblivious to what was out there.”

 

“Emma, d-”

 

“And stop calling me dear. I'm not your...” She faltered. Snow looked absolutely crestfallen.

 

“I carried you for nine months. I think we were friend's, weren't we?” Snow asked softly.

 

“Sorry, Mom.” Emma muttered.

 

Snow's smile was incandescent. As in, Emma could actually see an unfolding _something_ like in Gold and Regina, but where theirs had been dark and malevolent, respectively, Snow's was warm, open, inviting... making one think of singing song-birds and kittens playing in the grass.

 

“I got in the habit of calling you that in the other world.” Emma muttered.

 

“Alright.” Snow smiled.

 

“Just... don't call me 'dear'.”

 

“Absolutely.” Snow said.

 

“Please help me find Henry.” Emma said seriously.

 

“Alright.” Snow squared up, flicking the cloak over her shoulder. “If there is one man who knows everything, it's Rumpelstiltskin. We'll go see him.”

 

“Of course! How could I forget his other name is Rumpelstiltskin!” Emma smacked her head. Obviously no one would know what she was talking about, calling him 'Gold'. “Well, where is his house? Or shop? Or how do we contact him?” She followed as Snow led her into the castle and started though a bewildering array of corridors.

 

Snow looked at her oddly. “He's where he should be, locked in the dungeon. Thank goodness.”

 

“He is?” Emma remembered how she left him. “Is he alright?”

 

“Have you taken leave of your senses?” Snow asked. “First doing magic, then asking after _Rumpelstiltskin's_ health?”

 

“Why shouldn't I ask how he's doing? He helped to end your damned curse.”

 

“He... did?” Snow looked genuinely shocked.

 

“Yes, he did.” Emma said firmly. “Where are we going, anyway?” The corridors had gotten darker and darker, turning into almost caves rather than the marble corridors.

 

“To where Rumpelstiltskin is.” Snow said matter-of-factly. “The dwarves hollowed it out. It dampens any magic. He can't cast here, but beware- he can still get a hold of you.”

 

Emma looked at her mother, startled. She was suddenly nervous, running a armored finger over the edge of her shield. She had been sure that Gold was Rumpelstiltskin... but the idea of the small, quiet man grabbing someone from a cell like a dangerous animal... she just couldn't see it. Even when she had caught him beating the crap out of Moe, he had been sitting down.

 

They nodded to Leroy (who Snow had called 'Grumpy' which Emma had decided to ignore) before passing through the last door. Inside was the more dismal, depressing cave she had ever been in. It didn't have any of the majesty of caves she had seen going through Virginia.

 

In the back, there were glints of movement between bars that looked like teeth. Emma walked up to them, not sure how she felt. She peered inside, but couldn't see anything, her eyes still dazzled by the sunlight outside.

 

“Too close!” Snow called out in warning, but a leather-clad arm had already shot out and yellowed claws were locked around the metal of her breastplate.

 

Emma gasped in surprise. She still couldn't see to whom the arm belonged.

 

“A knight to come finish the job, my _queen_?” A high pitched voice danced through the cave. “Are you sure this one's up to the job?” A sneering visage came into focus, the eyes wide and glowing yellow, the skin pebbled, greenish, teeth crooked and brown. “He seems a bit slow.” An eerie cackle came out of the mouth as the head was thrown back.

 

“Gold?!?” Emma choked out. “Wow.” She didn't know what to say beyond that.

 

“Emma?” His face dropped open in shock and he very nearly fell off the precarious perch half-way up the bars.

 

“Hey, there, you're going to impale yourself.” Emma said as she caught him by the bicep. “And here I thought if you were some powerful goblin-thing, I wouldn't have to keep catching you all the time.” She smiled at him. “I'm glad you seem to be feeling a bit better.”

 

He snatched his arm back like he was burned. “I...”

 

“Emma!” Another voice came from the gloom.

 

“Henry!” Emma called, throwing herself forward into the bars with a clang. Her face broke into a huge grin. “I knew you came through!” She laughed.

 

“Almost didn't, dearie.” Rumpelstiltskin sneered.

 

Emma blinked. She didn't think he had called her that in a while. She found she didn't like 'dearie' coming from his mouth with that disdain. That's what he called everyone, when he was looking to get something out of them.

 

“Mr. Gold says that if you hadn't broken the curse properly, then some people might have been stuck behind, or in between, and I certainly would have- in the middle of a forest with nothing for miles. And he would have _died_.”

 

Emma turned back to her son, a grin lighting her features. “Well, then it was worth the pain.”

 

“It hurt?” Rumpelstiltskin asked curiously. “What did you do?”

 

“Jumped into the vortex thing.” Emma shrugged, which caused a series of clatters.

 

“You... jumped in? Eee hee!” Rumpelstiltskin twiddled his fingers together delightedly. “That'd do it.” He peered at her, cocking his head. Emma wasn't sure what he was looking for, but she shifted uncomfortably.

 

“Well, what was I supposed to do?” Emma muttered defensively.

 

“You could have said you _wuvvved_ it.” Rumpelstiltskin pantomimed kissy faces.

 

“Right. Because that was my first thought when coming face to face with a vortex of darkness.” Emma said, wryly.

 

“No, you decided to jump in and let it tear through your essence, instead.” He hissed delightedly.

 

“Emma, stand back.” Snow was suddenly there again, with keys. “Don't try anything.” She shot a glare at Rumpelstiltskin. “The whole cave suppresses your magic.” Emma looked at her mother, and the three knights who were suddenly filling the area.

 

Rumpelstiltskin danced back, eyes faux innocently wide. “Me, dearie? I would never consider escaping from the woman intent on killing me.”

 

“You can't kill him, Mary-Margaret.” Henry said earnestly. “Whoever kills him gets his powers. He was a really nice man before...mmph!”

 

“That's quite enough, now, little prince.” Rumpelstiltskin said shortly.

 

“Leggo of me!” Henry elbowed back. “Ouch! That's really hard leather.”

 

“Let go of the child, Rumpelstiltskin.” David growled.

 

“Or you'll what, exactly?” Rumpelstiltskin said through his teeth.

 

“Please let him go. You promised that I wouldn't regret the deal.” Emma said softly. Rumpelstiltskin opened his arms so abruptly Henry stumbled.

 

“You are quite right, of course. A deal's a deal!”

 

Snow unlocked the cell quickly and pulled Henry out.

 

“I mean it, you can't kill him.” Henry said again.

 

“Little Prince.” Rumpelstiltskin waved cheekily. “I will see you later.”

 

“No one is killing anyone.” Emma said shortly. “Except for maybe if no one gets me out of this damned armor.” She muttered as she tried to hug Henry and was completely unable to do it. “If anyone gets to kill him, it's _me_ after that absolute trash hint on how to break the curse. And for creating it in the first place. Giving birth was less painful.” She huffed and poked at the edges of the plate armor.

 

“Don't joke about killing here, Em-ma.” Rumpelstiltskin sang. “They tend to take one a bit too... seriously.”

 

“Alright, let's go.” David said, leading Henry out of the door. Henry looked back over his shoulder with a frown on his face. “What are you wearing, by the way?”

 

“Jeans and a tee?” Henry replied, then grinned. “Can I wear a tunic?”  
  


Henry was sufficiently distracted from Gold, but Emma shook her head. “We're not leaving him down here, are we?”

 

“No, of course not. You can see James is taking him up.” Snow said, trying to lead her out as well, the keys rattling in her other hand.

 

“Who?” She looked at David. “Right. No, not Henry. Rumpelstiltskin.”

 

“Why wouldn't they leave me here?” His high pitched voice grated down her spine. “Aren't you... happy to see me locked up?” He hissed. “You wanted me on the attempted murder so badly.”

 

Emma sucked in a breath. He remembered!

 

“Come on, let's go.” Snow pulled the furiously thinking Emma out of the cell. She didn't glance back. She couldn't face it just now. She ducked her head guiltily. First to settle Henry, then she would be back down. Her head tried to turn to get one last look at him. She almost succeeded, but out of the corner of her eye she got a flash of his grin just before they rounded the corner.

 


	6. Swordplay and Wasps

 Emma went through the next week in a daze. No one really remembered anything. Except for Henry of course, and Belle, but she had been in the other world for all of two days that she could really remember. But Henry was a kid, as much as she loved him, and suffered from the same amnesia that he had in the real world. Or the 'curse-world' as they were calling it. And Belle hadn't ever gotten past the 'but the carriages have no horses!' stage.

 

Some days it took all her effort just to get up in the morning. The uncomfortable straw mattress helped with incentive, but washing up in a bin of water and doing her business in a bucket made her want to be dirty and constipated for the rest of her life. They had _magic_ for fuck's sake. Why no _plumbing?_

 

And not to get her started on the magic. She could tell that everyone had it. Or at least the 'major characters' did. Snow did, Charming did... even Henry. Their magic swirled around them, and in the case of her parents, barely separated from each other. Well, actually, _never_ fully separated. She supposed that was the 'True Love' crap. But could she use it? Hell no. Even summoning her blade to her hand was a big no-no. When she had _reached_ and floated the salt to her she had practically been impaled.

 

“Emma, is there anything we can do?” Snow asked her one morning over breakfast. Which was completely unrecognizable. There was a pheasant. With feathers.

 

Emma sighed. “I don't think so.”

 

“How about something for you to do? You could take up the sword. I think the magic gave you some talent with it.”

 

“Hmm.” That was a thought, actually.

 

“And... then we could knight you.” Snow smiled happily seeing Emma consider it.

 

“Alright.”

 

OoOOoO

 

Emma found that she really enjoyed the sword work- even if it was a sorcery-granted ability. They seemed oddly hypocritical that getting something through magic was fine, just so long as one didn't _do_ magic. Which was really odd.

 

But either way, she was beating the pants off a bunch of hot young men. Not that any of them would so much as look at her bare ankles. Which was amazingly frustrating. She could count on one hand the times she'd gotten remotely frisky in the past year or more, and both times had been rather chaste kissing. Well, alright, not that chaste. But still just kissing. And having the one man die right out from under her and the other have ambiguous motives for doing so and then refusing her, well. Let's just say she was getting antsy in that regard.

 

Emma challenged another of the knights. She got impatient when he looked at her in vague terror and almost appeared like he was going to run off. None of that! “Hey there! I thought you were a man, not a coward.” Emma smirked as he bristled. “How are you going to slay a dragon if you won't even go a round with a dainty princess?”

 

He clenched his jaw and stepped forward.

 

Yes! Emma thought. She didn't wait for him to get more ready than that and charged. He was quick, and good- of course he was, this was the elite guard. But Emma had the hard-won talent of weeks backed up by the sorcerous abilities that let her skip a lot of the pain of learning. She would like to think that if she were to lose the sorcery right now, she might be able to keep herself alive for, oh... ten seconds. But now...

 

She slashed at the knight's legs and he deftly leapt out of the way, sweeping a counterattack at her shoulder. She batted it out of the way just enough that it passed harmlessly over her shoulder and then slammed her pauldron into the soft spot just under his. He hissed slightly in pain but to his credit maintained a grip on his sword. But Emma wasn't done. She gripped his extended arm with hers and then _flipped_ them all over, carefully modifying the trick to keep track of the sword. He lost his grip on the handle somewhere halfway to the ground.

 

Emma continued the motion with a roll and ended up back on her feet. That part had been all... well, mostly her. She was a black belt in a few martial arts and had been into MMA for a while. The sorcery helped her not to impale herself when sharp weapons were thrown in the mix, but otherwise that was a pretty classic wrestling take down.

 

“Yield!” The knight gasped. His friends on the sidelines laughed at him, pointing and jeering.

 

Emma made sure to point out the most obnoxious of them for her next bout.

  
She played with the next few, getting all the moves the magic made her do ingrained in her mind and body. Block this with such, parry like so, avoid this attack this way, but watch out for that reversal. It was what she had been doing for weeks, and the work was paying off. She felt the magic taking over less and less, more it was her initiating moves. It made for a more creative fighter, as well. All in all, it was good, physical fun.

 

The problems, as always, came after they were done. She went to go wash in the trough with the other guys, but they all looked at her in horror.

  
“Listen, I stink just as bad as you.” She growled.

 

Half of them were already topless and two were sluiced down with water. Emma tried to ignore their gleaming muscles. She knew by now that they would put up an even bigger stink about any moves she made than they were about to be about the water. 'No, m'lady, you are sure to find your true love! You are such a hero! And I am certainly not it. For you see, I have not quested with you, or for you, or even know anything about you except that you are beautiful and worthy... and can cast magic thusly are evil.' Ok, that last bit might be her bitterness talking.

 

“M'lady surely has bathing facilities more befitting her station?” One of them asked pointedly.

 

Emma glared. Obviously the concept of 'separate but equal' was something they hadn't been disabused of yet. “I want to wash off the grime and that,” she pointed at the tub, “is the most expeditious way to do it.”

 

While they were frowning at her use of such a big word, she snatched the bucket out of the lax grip of the knight closest to herself and dumped its contents over her head. Damn, that felt good. She sighed happily and shook out her hair.

 

She looked up to see all of them, to the man, staring directly at her chest. She pegged the bucket at the worst offender's head and smirked in satisfaction as it cracked against his nose. He grabbed it as blood started to come out, but Emma just turned on her heel and left. Assholes.

 

OoOOoOOO

 

“Henry.” Emma blinked. What was her son doing down here? She wasn't sure why she was going, beyond a vague hope that Gold would remember more about the other world and be in a mood for a chat. But Henry should have no business down in the dungeon.

 

“Oh... hey... Emma.”

 

Emma knew that look. That was the exact face that he had given people not in on 'Operation: Cobra.'

 

“Alright, kid. I know you are up to something. And I know what's down that hallway. So fess up.” Emma crossed her arms over her chest.

 

Henry bit his lip and looked down at the floor.

 

Emma sighed. She wanted him to look at her again with that sense of camaraderie that he had when they were in Storybrooke.

 

Henry had taken to the royalty thing like a fish to water. He was so busy these days jumping into etiquette, fencing, horse back riding, politics... Emma did some of that, too, but he seemed to actually enjoy it. And Snow White loved to teach it to him. It was good for them to be spending time together, even if it made Emma feel more like an aunt than a mother. And her mother more like her sister... it was a messed up situation. But considering that she was used to being alone, better than that, really...

 

Henry looked up at her when she continued to patiently wait him out. He sighed as well. “Ok. But only because I know you are on the right side on this one.” He whispered, moving in closer to her. “I'm going to bust Rumpelstiltskin out.” He said fiercely.

 

“Whoa, now.” Emma's eyes went wide. Though, really, what had she been expecting? “Let's think this over, kid.”

 

“Well, what are you going to go down there for?” Henry crossed his arms over his chest.

 

“Well...” Emma trailed off. She wasn't sure.

 

“You know that you want to let him out, too!” Henry whispered fiercely.

 

Emma couldn't deny it. “It's more complicated than that.” She said finally. “He's different here. He's... dangerous.”

 

Henry looked at her skeptically.

 

“More dangerous.” Emma amended.

 

“So?” Henry pouted.

 

“Right.” Emma scratched her head, thinking. “Well, I can't argue with you.” Henry beamed. “Yet.” His smile faded. “What if he did something that is really terrible and he deserves to be in there?”

 

“But the book...!” Henry protested.

 

“What if he _wrote the book_?” Emma asked. Henry frowned, not looking convinced. “Who else would know all the details of everyone's story?” She asked reasonably. “Who else would know all the details of the curse?”

 

Henry mulled that over. “True...”

 

“What if he downplayed his part and is actually a mass murderer here. Or...” She scrambled as that wasn't necessarily a punishable offense in this land. Backwards feudal nonsense... “What if he set up Regina to fall for the curse, but it was him all along?”

 

“He's responsible for everyone's happy ending.” Henry said stubbornly.

 

Emma's mouth twitched and then she felt a bit horrified that her brain had gone there. Bad, bad brain! Though the idea of Gold giving someone a blow job was... Emma's face contorted. There were too many emotions there to even _begin_ to categorize. “Let's call them 'ever afters'.” Emma said finally.

 

“Oh, ok.” Henry's face screwed up in confusion.

 

“And I tell you what. Why don't you try to find out what are crimes worthy of the punishment that he's getting. I'll look into it, too, but I'm going to concentrate on what he's actually _done._ ” Emma knelt down conspiratorially. “We'll meet up and see if he deserves it. If he even got a trial- or if he has a right to one.”

 

“I dunno... how can it be right to lock him up?” Henry said slowly.

 

“We're royalty, now.” Emma said, her expression becoming bemused. “So we have to make sure our actions are best for everyone first. Rightness is important.” She said, cutting off the argument that she could see brewing, “but we don't want to mess this up. Rumpelstiltskin is powerful enough to cast that curse again, isn't he?”

 

“Probably.” Henry muttered.

 

“So unless you want _your_ kid to become a savior or something, let's take a bit of time.” Emma put her hand on his shoulder.

 

“Yeah, ok.” Henry nodded. “That makes sense.” He scratched the back of his head. “In that case, though... erm... maybe you should go in there?” He said sheepishly. “And... erm... catch the drake I let lose in there.”

 

“Drake.” Emma said flatly.

 

“Yeah. They eat limestone.” Henry smiled. “See ya!” He scampered off.

 

“Why do I get the feeling that limestone is what makes up caves?” Emma took a few seconds to rub her forehead before rushing past the dwarf guards. They shouted at her, but Emma ignored them, instead scouring the cave for signs of the little beast. A belch of fire was actually rather hard to miss. She grinned.

 

Running up to the small, grey-skinned lizard thing, she went to grab it. Easy!

 

Except that it hissed at her and its soft scales became shiny spines with a _shict_ sound.

 

“Watch out, dearie. Those things are poi-son-ous!” Rumpelstiltskin sang out gleefully.

 

Emma glared and started to circle the beast. She could see where it had already eroded a small corner very close to the bars, but far enough away that she didn't think it would interfere with the structural integrity.

 

“M'lady!” The dwarf guard gasped. “Be careful! Just stab it, quick! Before it breathes fire.”

 

“I am not going to just kill it.” Emma growled. _Henry_ had gotten it in here, which she was going to talk to him about- poisonous lizards!? What was he thinking? She looked around the floor. As she expected, there was a small cage half concealed by the darkness in the corner.

 

A quick sideways maneuver brought her in range of the box. She snagged it with her sword and dragged it closer. It looked relatively intact- she straightened a few of the bars and it seemed to snap back into place. Something tingled at her fingertips. Magic! She could feel it. It felt familiar, too, like Gold had when she had kissed him. She looked at Rumpelstiltskin briefly before shaking her head and getting back to business.

 

She ignored the giggles and exaggerated gasps of awe coming from Rumpelstiltskin and the scandalized noises coming from the dwarfs. Hoisting the cage, she eased it closer to the tiny beast. “Just like catching a wasp. A giant, fire-breathing, poisonous wasp...” Emma muttered to herself.

 

She smacked the cage against the wall, leading to furious hissing, flames shooting everywhere, and the beginnings of a truly hideous screaming sound. She ignored it as best she could and slide the top along the wall to seal the little cage. The box gleamed gold for a second before the sounds and fire cut off. Emma peered into the cage worriedly, but it seemed as though the beast was still alive, just... silent.

 

“Ah, Emma. What the little sorceress you have become!” Rumpelstiltskin crowed. “Able to use the enchantments even here, where they should be suppressed. I am very proud of you, m'dear. Did you like the feel of my magic when you fixed the little box?”

 

Emma stroked the box contemplatively. She could feel the magic, it coiled at her fingertips before going back into the flow of the containment spell. “I do. A very nice little spell. Did you make your own cage, as well?” She shook her head, grinning darkly at him. “No, I suppose not. We are still blessed by your voice after all.”

 

Rumpelstiltskin's face darkened and he barred his teeth at her. Emma just smirked wider in return.

 

“I'll just go set this little guy free in a more appropriate location, shall I?” She mused to herself.

 

“How did it get in here?” The dwarf wrung his hands nervously.

 

“How did _you_ know it was here?” The other one asked suspiciously.

 

“I'm very good at investigating.” Emma deflected. “Anyway, I'll see you later, boys.” She waved at the three of them and moseyed out of the dungeon.

 

OoOOOOoO

 

“Oh, Emma- we are so proud of you!” Snow gushed.

 

“Snow, it's not a big deal. I caught a little lizard.” Emma grumbled.

 

“A fire-breathing drake! And a poisonous one at that!” Snow corrected. “Though how it got down there I have no idea...”

 

Emma pointedly did NOT look at her son, but she could see him scratching his head guiltily out of the corner of her eye. “Well, lots of people go down there.” Emma said reasonably. Which was true. There was a fairly steady stream of people who went down to sneak a glimpse of the terrible legend of a monster, trapped and helpless. Not that many of them got to see him, as he hid in the shadows.

 

“I've said before that it is a bad idea to let people down there.” James grumbled.

 

“Dear- they are going to get in, anyway. Regina got in, after all. It's not difficult with even the smallest bit of magic. And I don't know how we can fortify it- you can only bring in certain types of magic and they have to be pre-set in most cases...”

 

“There has to be a way.” James crossed his arms over his chest.

 

“Well, yes. But isn't it better we know who is going down there?” Snow argued.

 

“We only know the people who are signing in. If they are doing that, they won't be breaking the law to get him out, either!” James retorted.

 

“Then what issue could you have with people going down there _legally?_ ” Snow asked mock-sweetly. “Banning it will only hurt the law-abiding, by your own admission.”

 

“So.” Emma broke in. She had heard these exact arguments about legalizing drugs, guns, hell- pit bulls. So she knew they could dance around each other all night. “I'll just go release our little friend and then that will be that.” She said, trying to sound cheerful.

 

James turned to their daughter, smiling. “Quite right, Emma. These arguments are well worn friends at this point. We did have something to tell you, before we got sidetracked.” Emma raised an eyebrow to have him continue. “Well, since you have been doing such a top job, we decided to task you with keeping Rumpelstiltskin there until we get an idea what to do with him.” James said happily.

 

“You mean, stop other plots?” Emma asked. She say Henry making a 'no' gesture behind her parents. And had to admit- the kid had a point. She had gone down there, after all, to... well, talk... probably. But they had agreed to investigate the justness of his imprisonment. And to turn around and say she was going to be his jail guard. “Um. Why me?”

 

“You have the proper investigative mind.” Snow smiled.

 

“Sure, why not?” Emma asked rhetorically. She knew she didn't really have a choice. Unless she wanted to come out and say 'hey! I'm thinking about releasing him myself! Too funny!'

 

Henry glared at her, but she just winked at him.

 


	7. Operation Viper

 It was harder than it seemed to track down what, exactly, Rumpelstiltskin was guilty of. There were pretty much no records of anything. And, she realized with a bit of a shock, life had gone on in this land as well as it had in the 'real' world. She supposed she hadn't noticed, as her parents had slid back into their roles so easily. But it had been a whole generation, now, since anyone had had dealings with any of the story tale characters. Or, in some cases, even fantastical beasts.

 

The extremely elite guard, the powerful advisers, the way people kept just bursting into joyous laughter and (occasionally) outright dancing when they saw one of the royalty...

 

“Yes, thank you, I don't really want another muffin.” Emma declined as politely as she could manage.

 

“Oh, dearie,” Emma flinched slightly, but the old woman didn't seem to notice. “You coming here to talk to an old woman like me! The least I can do is feed you! You are too skinny!”

  
Emma sighed and took another muffin, nibbling on the edge. “So, about Rumpelstiltskin?”

 

“Oh, my, yes. My grandfather had a devil of a time with that monster. He turned our baked goods into living men!” Her eyes got a rather disturbing light in them.

 

“Um, ok. Why did he do that?” Emma had to ask.

 

“Well, my grandfather was getting on in years, and my father had died fighting the trolls, you see.” She explained. Her face bunched into wrinkles as she frowned slightly. “I was just coming into womanhood, and all the boys would come to 'help in the shop' to see me, but they never got anything done.”

 

Emma popped another bit of baked goods into her mouth. It was actually a damn tasty muffin...

 

“So one day, Granpapa had had enough- he just wanted someone who actually cared about baked goods to work in the shop.” She paused and her face lit up. “He should have been more careful with his wording.”

 

“How so?” Emma asked.

 

“Well, they certainly cared about baked goods...” The old woman said mysteriously.

 

“Um... that wasn't a good thing?”

 

“They claimed to hear their fellow gingerbread _screaming_.”She cackled. “The gingerbread helpers staged a riot and stole everything my Granpapa had baked and started throwing it at people, screaming 'murderers!'”

 

Emma choked on her muffin. “They didn't!”

 

“My Granpapa was so furious he went running after the gingerbread helpers with a rolling pin and tried to beat them to pieces, but they just ran away from him, taunting!” The old baker laughed, her eyes twinkling in merriment. “'You can't catch me!' they'd say.” She wiped a hand under her eye to gather the tears of mirth. “We found pieces of them scattered all over the countryside for _weeks_. A local group of foxes would from that time on come and raid our shop every time we baked gingerbread. They still do.”

 

“Well, what was his payment?” Emma asked.

 

“Hmm?”

 

“Rumpelstiltskin, what did he ask for in return?” Emma clarified.

 

“Oh, he just wanted a basket of pastries, my dear. That should have been our clue it wasn't going to work out very well. I saw him in the initial chaos up on the rooftops- he was laughing so hard he almost fell off the eaves, that insane imp.” She shook her head.

 

“I see. Well, thank you for your time. Do you know anyone else that might know a story?”

 

“Oh, certainly, dear. Go see Mrs. Peep over in the fields. She was the last one that I know of that saw him, before the blackness came to the castle.” Emma could now mentally translate that to 'when the curse was put on everyone'.

 

“Thank you very much, ma'am.”

 

By the end of the day, she had determined that most of the people in the town by the castle had a story about Rumpelstiltskin, but none were as dramatic as the ones in the storybook. And none were really all that... illegal. More obnoxious. She did learn of two plots to get him out, though. One by a blushing bride who wanted him to make her a golden dress, the other by a group of young men that wanted him to give them glory by letting them at some dragons. She nipped both of those in the bud.

  
Emma sighed. Had it just been too long? Or was he really more likely to trade for bread than babies? She knew for a fact that he did deal in infants- look at her case and Ella's.

 

Maybe Henry was doing better.

 

OooOoOoo

 

“Psst! Emma, over here!”

 

Emma turned, clanking slightly as she was out to do a bit of jousting. “Oh, hi Henry, what's up?”

 

“It's about Operation: Viper!”

 

Emma smiled bemusedly. “You really like snakes, don't you?”

 

“Snakes are cool.” Henry said indignantly.

 

Emma grew serious as she realized something. “You really like... poisonous snakes...” She continued, looking at him suspiciously.

 

“Heh... um... they just sound cooler?”

 

“Nice try, buddy. But poisonous creatures are not something you should be messing around with.” Emma said seriously, turning to face her son fully and walking over to his corner he had hidden himself in.

 

“Um... are you talking about... er... _Gold_ ” he stressed it so that she knew he was talking about the person, “or something else?”

 

“That little drake was poisonous, too. You could have been killed!” Emma crouched in front of Henry, looking worried.

 

“Oh, nah! Rumpelstiltskin told me where to get the gloves so it wouldn't hurt me. The box, too!” Henry said proudly. But then at the look on his mother's face quickly backpedaled. “Er... oops? He didn't do anything- it was all my idea!”

 

“I am going to wring his scrawny little neck.” Emma growled.

 

“Em-ma!” Henry whined. “I found out some good stuff about Operation: er...”

  
“We can call is 'Viper.'” Emma sighed.

 

“Alright!” Henry grinned. “Well, come on!”

 

Emma followed her son into a side study of the library.

 

“Here, see- I was going over all the laws today. Snow and James needed refreshers, too, since a bunch has changed in twenty whatever years.” Henry said, confirming that, yes, Emma was the last to figure out the additional time paradox. “But, anyway- there's not much here on magic at all. I don't think any of the laws apply, and besides that, there are really no parts that talk about imprisonment. It's considered cruel. They just cut off a hand or kill you or something.”

 

“Lovely.” Emma winced. “So by their own standards, what they are doing to Rumpelstiltskin...”

 

“Is worse than death.” Henry confirmed. “I asked that question when we got to this part, here, about execution.”

 

“And?”

 

“Well, they said that they had tried to kill him, but failed when he was free. He catches swords with his bare hands and just kind of looks disgusted. And arrows tend to return to the shooter. So... they trapped him, but you can't kill him in there, either.”

 

Emma was silent about the implications of that. If Henry wasn't already thinking about how they must have shot a caged man and watched to see if he would die, she wasn't going to bring it up. What a messed up world this was...

 

Dammit. Now she felt sorry for the imp. It was going to be hard to go chew him out about sending her son after dangerous beasts... wait, nope, there was the anger again.

 

OoOoOoOo

 

“M'lady... what are you doing with that crossbow?” Crusty asked at the door.

 

“Never mind that, just keep guarding the door.” Emma said as she breezed by him.

 

“Yes, ma'am!” The dwarf grinned enthusiastically.

 

Emma cocked the crossbow and strode up to the cage, just far enough away that she didn't think that Rumpelstiltskin would be able to grab her. She saw his eyes glittering in the darkness. They dropped down to the weapon and she saw him visibly recoil, backing away and trying to dart behind the flimsy cover provided by the curves in the wall.

  
Emma shot him.

 

“Ow!” Rumpelstiltskin protested, looking down in puzzlement at the bolt as he rubbed where it had hit him in the upper hip. “That... what was that?”

 

“Just testing a theory.” Emma said calmly, though inside she was seething. Not at him. Well, mostly. “And getting a little aggression out.” She tugged on the string attached to the bolt and pulled it out of the cage, replacing it in the stock.

 

Rumpelstiltskin limped slightly as he came towards the bars, pouting dramatically. “Why did you shoot poor Rumpelstiltskin?” He asked. “That was not very nice.” The last bit he said with barred teeth glinting menacingly.

 

“Why did you send my son off to capture deadly animals to aid in your escape?” Emma retorted silkily.

 

“Ah.” He dropped his hand off his hip and straightened, placing a finger along his chin. “Let's see if there might, possibly, be an explanation for _that.”_ He said sarcastically.

 

Emma hefted the crossbow at him. “Do NOT send Henry after more dangerous quest items.” she threatened.

 

“I think someone played too many RPGs as a child.” Rumpelstiltskin smirked. “I can send Henry on whatever side quests he chooses to accept from a humble quest giver such as myself.”

 

Emma swallowed, trying not to let him see the pricks of tears that had come into her eyes at the mention. She had... she had loved the Final Fantasy games... but, she would never play them again.

 

“And you can't threaten me with that, dearie- I know that it's not deadly.” He added.

 

“I can just as easily put a real bolt in it.” She warned.

 

“That won't kill me either.” He retorted.

 

But Emma could tell, both from him turning his body to make a smaller target and the way he was hunched slightly, and the way he said 'kill' rather than 'hurt' that he had been shot. In this cell. She sighed. “I would never shoot you with a real bolt.” Emma said. He raised a disbelieving eyebrow. She shrugged. She wouldn't.

 

“Well, Emma.” She shivered when he said her name. He made it sounds like a whole sentence of meaning was packed in there, meaning which was completely indecipherable. “Did you just come down here to shoot me with padded bolts and threaten me about you son?”

 

“No.” Emma settled the crossbow on her shoulder. “I have been trying to find stories about things you did outside of what we know already, but there's all this petty stuff.”

 

“Mmmhmm?” Rumpelstiltskin examined his nails and yawned.

 

“Well, why are you trading for bread and animating things to cause havoc?”

 

Rumpelstiltskin looked at her wryly. “Are you actually asking me that question, dearie?”

 

“It was a funny story...” Emma allowed.

 

“And!” He hopped up to cling to the bars. “I got some de- _licious_ bread out of it!” He sang.

 

“Yeah... if it was like the grand-daughter's, it was pretty good.” Emma allowed.

 

“A monster needs to eat, too, dearest.” Rumpelstiltskin hissed, pressing his face to the bars. Which Emma thought was sort of an odd way to say that statement. She gave him a long look, but finally decided that she didn't really want to understand him that well.

 

“Well, ok, but what about the taking babies? Memories? Switching identities and saving villages and all that?”

 

“Emma, Emma, Emma.” Rumpelstiltskin shook his head in mock sorrow. “Those things take a loooot or energy!” He jumped back down and twirled around the cell. “I can't make everyone's story into a fairy tale for the ages, now, can I?” He spun and faced her. “That's a once-in-your-lifetime es-spec-i-al treat!”

 

“In _my_ lifetime?”

 

“Yes, yours.” He barred his teeth at her. “You and all the others who will be dust while I still remain. Forever. The Dark One that you will never be free off!” He shook the bars, but they did not budge. He snarled and moved back into the darkness.

 

“Alright.” Emma allowed. “A lot of them seem to be happening right now, though...”

 

“I needed every chance that the curse would be cast, didn't I?” Rumpelstiltskin asked idly, stretched out on a rock ledge, picking his claws.

 

“What do you mean?” Emma frowned.

 

Rumpelstiltskin pinned her with his eyes, their harsh golden glow all she could really see of his shadowy figure. “To make a truly evil wretch, you must have a fairy tale that went spectacularly wrong, dearest. And wrong in such a way that the person casts all feeling from their hearts. And lives only for revenge.” He grinned, looking like a demented and frightening Cheshire cat.

 

Emma gulped.

 

He looked away and continued with a high-pitched lilt. “So I had to make as many fairy tales come true at once as I could, you see! To make sure that at least on of them would be the right combination. And Regina certainly did deliver.” He huffed. “Proving again that most evil is really just idiotic.”

 

“Idiotic?” Emma asked weakly.

 

Rumpelstiltskin turned his head back to her, his eyes half-lidded and lazy. “I can think of, oh...” he looked up theatrically, “ten ways to have gotten my revenge without killing something I loved... if I even had such a thing, of course, or certainly, just run away with her _lover_ immediately instead of trusting an eleven year old.”

 

Emma had to give him that. Regina hadn't been the sharpest tool in the shed, just the most persistent and stubborn.

 

“If you are quite finished interrupting my vacation?” Rumpelstiltskin sighed, lying down fully and closing his eyes. His position didn't look at all comfortable. Did he even have bones?

 

“It won't happen again.” Emma said dryly.

 

“You know you are the knight in shining armor, Emma.” Rumpelstiltskin said as she turned to leave. “It's your duty to poke the monster and see how he reacts.” His hysterical cackling followed her up the stairs, even from behind the closed door.

 

OooOOoOOo

 

At dinner Emma picked at her pork... er... _boar_ with something like despair. It was so... gamey. But James, her father, looked so proud to have killed it. She sighed.

 

“Hey, Emma!” Henry whispered from where he was sitting beside her. “I have some new info for Project: Viper!”

 

“Yeah?” Emma said, dropping the fork.

 

“Yeah. Since you were having a hard time finding people to tell you about the Golden Viper.” He winked and Emma's mouth quirked up of its own volition. “I asked Snow, James, Red and Belle about it. You know, to see if it was like the book.”

 

“Red and Belle are still here?” Emma asked in shock. She hadn't seen the two at all since just after the curse broke.

 

“Yeah. They spend a lot of time out in the gardens or in the back of the library.” Henry said, looking puzzled as to why that would be. “But anyway- I asked them all, and the book was exactly right!”

 

“About what?” Emma asked.

 

“About everything. You know, the Golden Viper's role in it all. They said even the dialogue seemed right. Cool, huh?”

 

“Hmm.” Emma pondered. “That had about when he first became um... a snake, right?”

 

Henry grinned happily at her use of the code. “Yup! Before he was a... uh... puppy.”

 

“A puppy?” Emma asked in amusement, now fully grinning.

 

“Well, I don't know. He got kicked around a bunch, was hurt, but still helped people. Wouldn't that be a puppy? What would you call him?”

 

Emma sobered. “No, puppy is good.”

 

“Yeah, so, he was a puppy because he was... hm. Maybe he was a _dog_ and he was protecting his puppy, and that's why he helped the snake... Emma, why are you laughing so hard?”

 

Emma chortled into the quilted material of her tunic. “Nothing, nothing. Puppies...” She snickered.

 

“Emma, sometimes you are really weird.” Henry said seriously.

 

OoOoOoOO

 

After Henry's briefings, she headed to the library to read history, law, philosophy sometimes with her son, sometimes alone. It was so very, very different here. So... 'ye olden tyme' and rather barbaric, actually. It made 'stand your ground' gun laws look practically liberal.

 

And the library was where she finally ran into Belle. Emma chased the elusive woman down, eagerly, hoping for an ally... or at least, someone to talk to who had a more balanced view of Rumpelstiltskin than she had been getting from Henry (overwhelmingly positive), Snow or David (overwhelmingly negative) or other townsfolk (extremely negative if they had been affected by the curse, usually second- or third-hand if they hadn't). And no one besides herself and Henry could remember Mr. Gold, which she felt was a very important part of the puzzle.

 

“Hey. Listen- you have been here your whole life, basically, but you remember what Gold did, don't you?” Emma said, tucking a few scrolls under her arm and hiking a giant tome on her hip.

 

“Um, well, I do...” Belle said slowly.

 

“And you knew him well as Rumpelstiltskin, right? You guys were... friends?” Emma said.

 

“Um.. well, it is sort of complicated.” Belle said, still trying to scurry away. “I don't want to talk about it.” She murmured.

 

Emma raised an eyebrow and moved to block her escape. “You know where they have him?”

 

“Yes.” She looked down.

 

_Gotcha_ , Emma thought. Classic guilt. “We can't leave him down there.”

 

“Well, obviously not.” Belle huffed, looking Emma in the eye for the first time. “You... are with me in this regard?”

 

“Absolutely.” Emma grinned. “I got nothing on the legal front, though.”

 

“Well, that's because he is bound as a magical contract, basically, so the laws don't really apply.”

 

“They damn well should! How are people going to get over this stigma about magic if the laws don't apply evenly? It's absolutely ridiculous. It's like the whole world has bipolar disorder about the subject.”

 

“I'm sorry.” Belle said apologetically. “But I don't understand some of your words. And would you mind terribly not to curse so much?”

 

“Right.” Emma frowned. She was never going to get used to this.

 

“So, anyway, what I have been searching for is a way to break the curse.” Belle seemed to be quickly warming to the topic. “Then he can be released- the magical contract will no longer bind him.”

 

Emma dropped the book she had been avoiding having to read on a nearby table with a sigh of relief. Belle winced at the poor treatment. “Henry said you did that already, with a kiss of 'True Love' or something.”

 

“Ah, well.” Belle looked to the side.

 

“'Ah,well'?” Emma looked at her askance. “It did work, didn't it?”

 

“Rather it worked because the Queen had set a hex on my lips. From when I ate one of her apples. If Rumpelstiltskin had accepted the change because he _thought_ it was True Love breaking it, then it would have bound his power. But he didn't accept it, so that was that.”

 

“Wait, wait, wait.” Emma held up a hand. “The guy beat your father within an inch of his life and turned your fiance into a rose.”

 

“Gaston is a rose?” Belle seemed torn between amusement and horror.

 

“Yes. That's way more than a man who you can sum up his feelings with 'and that was that.'” Emma dropped the scrolls on the table, too, flexing her arm.

 

Belle sighed and rolled one properly. “Yes, well. I am rather fond of him... he was good to me...”

 

“What's the but?”

 

“Excuse me?” Belle looked affronted.

 

“The end of that sentence was hanging- you were going to say 'but' something.”

 

“Oh.” Belle blushed.

 

“He's a good kisser, so that can't be the 'but'.” Emma leaned forward intently- sensing an interrogation that she could get some info out of. “Is this about Ruby... er... Red?” Because the two of them had kissed each other out of Storybrooke. And despite... attitudes towards non-standard sexual practices, none of the men were chasing after Red or Belle anymore than they were her. Perhaps for a different reason?

 

“How in the world do you know that he is a good kisser?” Belle asked. Now she looked positively scandalized.

 

“We were taunting the Mayor... er... the Queen.” Emma said. She stopped. There was no good way to tell that story. She frowned. “Answer the question.”

 

“How does one taunt by kissing a man? Was she in love with him?”

 

Emma burst out laughing. “Oh, you're good. But stop deflecting. Why do you not want to just use 'True Love' again?” She winced a bit at the capitals. Nonsense for children....

 

“Well, because... I'm not really in love with him. I thought I could, you see, the Queen convinced me to give it a shot. I certainly do _love_ him, but not like that, the truth is... well...”

 

“He's too ugly? He's an asshole? He changes moods unpredictably? He giggles like a small girl and rhymes annoyingly? He always acts like he knows exactly what you are going to do, and no matter what you decide to do, he looks smug about it?”

 

“He's not that ugly.” Belle giggled. “But you do seem to have proper measure of his character.”

 

“Alright. You like women?”

 

Belle stopped laughing so quickly she sucked in something she shouldn't have and started coughing. Emma patted her on the back, smirking. Well, well.

 

“How did you guess that?” Belle said finally.

 

“If the shoe fits.” Emma trailed off. Was that a Cinderella reference? Would they have that? Had that even happened yet? Her head hurt.

 

Belle tilted her head politely, obviously having no idea what that phrase meant. “Well... yes.”

 

“I saw you in Storybrooke with Ruby. You kissed to break that curse, didn't you? Everyone else was getting out of it by finding their “True Love,”” Emma made air-quotes for “True Love”, “so it is really not that much of a logical leap. Plus I know you have been spending a lot of time with Ruby.”

 

Belle flushed bright red. “Red? Yes... I have...”

 

“Oh, my.” Emma grinned. “Do tell.”

 

“Well, in the other world, I was staying at her hotel, with her and her granny... and we, rather got to talking and... well, here we get on even better. Did you know the poor dear turns to wolf if she doesn't wear that cloak of hers?”

 

“Beauty and the Beast.” Emma said, eyes wide. “Shit.”

 

“Um. Well, I don't know what you mean, but we're... well, let's just say that it is somewhat impossible for Rumpelstiltskin and I to be destined. Though I do consider him a dear friend.”

 

“Have you told him about your... feelings.” Emma said dubiously. He didn't seem to be a particularly forgiving sort.

 

“Ah.” Belle winced. “That would be one reason I'm not petitioning he be released right now. I don't want to go back to living with him. It would... there might be... and my family...”

 

“Oh, dear.” Emma pinched the bridge of her nose. “This is a mess.”

 

“So! I think he would take it much better if we could just expunge the darkness from his heart.”

 

“Belle... I don't think it is just the magic that is causing it.” Though, she had to allow, it certainly seemed to make him more unstable. “You can't take it from him- it was enough of who he is that it carried over to the other world.” The guy obviously had a ton of baggage, who know how large a part due to the Belle situation. So that was about to get worse, being rejected.

 

“Because it is part of him or because he made the curse?” Belle asked. “He could have built in whatever he wanted into its weaving.”

 

“This is true.” Emma scratched her head. “Still, it's not right that he should be punished because other people were idiots. Also- things were... changed in the other world. He remembers, I know it.”

 

“The part of him that is human, perhaps. How much of the Dark One was over there?” Belle fiddled with her skirt. “I know he has tragedy in his past. He told me some of it. He had a wife, a child. He lost them, but he wouldn't say more. I know his life has been hard, but the Dark One makes him... worse.”

 

Emma frowned. She had definitely noticed that he was colder, harder, different here. And his reactions to her were... odd. But she had seen glimmers of the well... not 'Gold-like' as he had been an asshole as well, but. Emma sighed in her own mind, annoyed to be stooping to this level... but the 'Good' in him, for lack of a better word. “Alright. We need to go talk to him.”

 

Belle gulped. “You really think that's such a good idea?”

 

“You really think you like women better?” Emma asked rhetorically. And a bit seriously. She wasn't going to go crush the guy's (admittedly slightly creepy and stalkerish) dreams and devotion if he had a shot.

 

Belle looked at her shoes. “I love Red.” She muttered. “When we kiss, it is like... like whole worlds of possibility exist, that we just need to move forward, the whole rest of the world drops away. When I kissed him, all I was thinking about was breaking his curse... and then about his lips being a bit dry. They are, you know? As the Dark One. Sort of leathery.... but that's all.”

 

Emma smirked. “Alright. Despite the TMI poetry, yeah. He needs to know.”

 

“I really don't think I can tell him. I don't think he would hurt me, but sometimes, he loses himself, he can be so violent...” Belle sighed. “That alone I could take, I think, but to see his face when I tell him, after all this time?”

 

“If you're not going to tell him, I am.”

 

“Oh...” Belle fluttered her hands helplessly.

 

“Yeah. He will take it less well if you surprise him with it, if you leave it longer than necessary. Telling him now, since you know, that's better. And this way you can get the magical tantrum reaction after he's had a chance to process things.” Emma said wryly.

 

“I would... appreciate you mediating in this matter.” Belle said finally. “I... please tell him that I am sorry and I still consider him a friend?”

 

“You betcha.” Emma agreed. Though the 'friends' line made her wince a bit internally.   


	8. Beauty and the Beast

“No, I **am** going to go see him. And it needs to be private.” Emma growled. “I need to go in the cage with him.”

 

“Absolutely not. Outside the cage is private enough. As proven with him being able to meet with the Queen while we had him incarcerated.” Snow protested hotly.

 

“He's not going to do anything! He knows that you already are seeking to murder him, why would he give you a reason to decide?” Emma shot back.

 

“It is not murder- he is evil!” Snow fingered her dagger before taking a determined breath and putting her hand to her side.

 

“Gramma.” Snow's eye twitched. Henry plowed on, knowing that the name would irritate her enough to listen. “He saved us. He told you what to do, he helped Emma all the way, he told her how to finish the curse, everything. He won't hurt Emma.”

 

“The lad is correct.” Jiminy said from the table top. Emma was still not ok with talking grasshoppers. No matter how cute they were in cartoon form, every time he flicked his wings she cringed. “It was morally questionable to break the contract in the first place. Now...”

 

“If we let him go, he'll... do... something. And it's not going to be pretty.” Snow warned.

 

“Only _probably_.” Emma defended weakly. “Maybe we could make a deal with him so he wouldn't?”

 

“Hah.” Snow shook her head. “We broke a deal in putting him there. No. Not an option. Any avenue and he will find a way to take it. I am not letting that door open.”

 

“Lock me in with him, I don't care.” Emma crossed her arms over her chest.

 

The King stepped forward, concerned. “He's not the same. Whatever he was like there, he's different here. Any small kindness he showed was the reversal of all his negative traits, like our traits were reversed to flaws of character.” James tried. “Just leave him be in there, or talk to him like you have been- at a safe distance.”

 

“Please.” Emma said. “He's as dangerous, if not more so, if I get too close to the bars. Which I fully intend to do, if I have to knock out the guards and go in there myself.”

 

“Fine.” Snow glared, then suddenly smiled. “You are certainly our daughter. You'll make a fine Queen some day.”

 

“Yeah...” Emma felt a spear of ice through her chest at the thought. Hell no.

 

“But if outside the bars will be good enough, then no reason to temp fate and give him an opening to escape.” James concluded.

 

Emma frowned, but couldn't really argue herself out of the corner she's just stuck herself in.

 

OoOoOOooo

 

“So, finally come back to see me, have you dearie?” Rumpelstiltskin giggled, his arm reaching through the bars, but keeping the rest of himself in shadow. “I thought you might have taken me at my word about wanting a vacation.” He flicked his fingers disdainfully at the stone walls.

 

Emma stepped forward and waved the guards back.

 

“Oh, a clandestine meeting! How delightful!” He giggled.

 

Emma walked up to the bars, until their faces were nearly touching. She was blindsided with how very much she wanted to close those last few inches, so she didn't start talking right away as she intended. Damn those knights for getting her blood up and then saying 'oh, no, m'lady, it isn't proper'. If a woman could get blue balls she would have them.

 

Rumpelstiltskin seemed to be able to tell the direction of her thoughts, or at least was continuing the joke as he continued in the same vein. “Well, dearie... I admit your charms are tempting, but I won't play gladiator to your Roman lady.”

 

“Shut up Rumpelstiltskin.” Emma muttered.

 

“Ooohoo! So feisty!”

 

Emma looped her arms through the bars, leaning closer. His face closed off, but she didn't touch him, merely put her mouth to his ear. “I am here for two reasons.” She started.

 

“Mmhmm. I'm listening.”

 

“One: I am working on convincing them to release you. They argue you will 'smite' them, then, but really, I've already foiled one escape plan and two outside plots. I'm sure you have several more.”

 

“Quite right.” Rumpelstiltskin grinned. “What is your point?” He asked boredly.

 

“My point is- you deserve to be free for what you did to help us, even despite all the other circumstances, and... well. I guess now I am just stalling.” She muttered.

 

“Yes, dear, please get to why you really came here before you die of old age.”

 

Emma's mouth quirked. Right. Before _she_ died of old age. Because he was several hundred years old at least, according to records. That put a new spin on both 'gold digging' and 'cradle robbing'. She could definitely continue that line of thought for a while, but he had a point. Best to just spit it out. “Well...” Emma panicked. All the times she had rehearsed this... and now she couldn't remember. “Belle...”

 

“Yes?” He hissed urgently, turning his head so he could look her in the eye.

 

“Well...” Emma decided to just be blunt. “She's gay.”

 

“That's, good...” Rumpelstiltskin said in confusion.

 

“As in, she's a lesbian.”

 

“I don't understand.” He said, falling back.

 

Emma was fairly sure he knew the terms, if he remembered the other world, but she wouldn't be totally shocked if he didn't. There were odd blind spots in the fairy tale characters' minds, who knew if homosexuality was one of them. She translated his incomprehension to shock and denial. So she put it another way, not liking how she was rattling him, though if it were over anything else she would be crowing in delight. “She's in love with Red Riding Hood...”

 

He staggered against something in the gloom she couldn't see. “What...?”

 

“I am so sorry.” Emma whispered, sinking with him to the ground. “The kiss... the Queen gave her a hex without her knowledge. If you hadn't fought it, it would have bound you. That's why it seemed like it was this 'True Love' stuff- it was magic, alright- just the Queen's. Belle didn't know. It...”

 

“No...” Rumpelstiltskin said brokenly, looking down at his fingers as they clenched the air.

 

“I'm afraid it's true. What you felt... I talked to her. She still cares deeply for you. They call it 'Stockholm syndrome' in the other world; when a captor and captive feel emotions for each other outside of reason. It's a coping mechanism and...”

 

“No!” Rumpelstiltskin said again, but this time at a roar. He ran up to the bars so fast that Emma didn't see him move. She fell onto her back in instinctive terror. He rattled the bars before turning and leaping back into the depths. Rocks started to fly and Emma covered her head and backed up as quickly as she could. “Argh!”

 

“Shit!” Emma dodged the rock, barely.

 

“Get out! Get out!” He screamed.

 

Emma hastily ran out and only paused when the doors to the cave were tightly shut behind her. She sank to the floor and held her arms close around her knees. “Shit, shit...” not realizing that she mirrored Rumpelstiltskin inside, broken on the floor.

 

OoOOooo

 

“Now you see why we can't let him out.” Snow said kindly.

 

Emma sighed and picked at her quail egg forlornly. She hadn't thought that he would take it well, and he hadn't. “Just because he is... how he is, and would _probably_ commit crimes if we were to let him out, doesn't mean we should keep him locked up.” Emma said stubbornly.

 

“Emma, dear, this is a different world than the one you grew up in. But surely even there they locked up their dangerous beasts?” Snow tried again.

 

“He is not a beast! He is a person.” Emma snapped back.

 

“He is most certainly _not_ a person. Even less so than a dwarf or a fairy!” Snow said, affronted.

 

“Even if you claim that they are not people, when they obviously are, he was once a human being person, just like any of us.” Emma argued.

 

“And then he took a curse onto himself, yes, you have told me the basics, as has Henry. And you well know that legally a person who is under a curse is not a person, they are a curse-object until freed.” Snow said decisively. “End of discussion.”

 

Emma knew that she had to drop it. Snow was much more forceful than Mary-Margaret had been, and she really meant it. Unless she wanted to get her magically-enhanced ass handed to her by her younger-than-her mother in a sword duel. Again.

  
But dropped was not 'over', not by a long shot. If Snow remembered the other world better, or at all, she would know that. If she had really thought about the fact that Emma was her daughter, even, but to the Queen, the discussion was closed.

 

OoOOOoOOo

 

“Oh there you-oh my God!” Emma covered her eyes quickly, having stumbled upon Red and Belle in considerably less than modest attire. “Ok. Well. Now that that's happened...” She mentally replayed the scene- something was not right... Her eyes snapped open. “Give me that!” She snatched a contraption from underneath Belle's skirt. “What the hell is this?” She could feel magic snapping along it, unwilling and barely contained. It wanted out!

 

“Give that back!” Red growled, her hand going for her broach.

 

“Now, don't threaten me, missy.” Emma grinned. “Unless you are going to back it up.”

 

Ruby glared, but dropped her hand.

 

“This seems like it is some sort of jail-breaking item.” Emma said thoughtfully. She soothed the magic, petting it like an irate cat. It curled under her fingers and acquiesced, the structure of it settling. It was ready, now, waiting. It still knew its job, but wasn't going to do it _right now_. Emma blinked down at the device- what had once been an ungainly collection of splintered wood and rope now looked like a sleekly coiled spool of ebony.

 

Emma looked up and into the wide eyes of Ruby and Belle.

 

“You... what did you do to it?” Ruby asked.

  
“What? I just settled it down. I don't know why it changed shape like that.” Emma frowned.

 

“Ah, well, thank you, Emma, we'll just take that back, then.” Belle said with forced cheer.

 

“Oh, no you don't.” Emma held it out of reach. “I know what this is for and you are not getting it down there. Besides- how do you know it will even work?”

 

“We aren't going to use it for him.” Belle said, eyes wide. “It's for us! What if someone catches us and thinks that we are being unnatural? We need a means to get to safety.” Her eyes filled with tears and she sniffed.

 

“Oh... well... uh... you know that this was about to explode, right? You shouldn't keep stuff like that... um... up your skirt.” Emma said, making as if to hand it back. Until she caught the glimmer of triumph in Belle's eyes. “Oh, nice try, you almost got me!” Emma snatched it back.

 

“Emma! You said yourself that we needed to get him out of there, and I know you are right. Cursed or not he doesn't deserve being in that tiny cell! Why do you keep stopping him from escaping if you want him to escape!?” Belle huffed.

 

Emma sighed. “I was asked to stop him and I gave my word. Besides- letting him escape is just escalating this whole thing. Don't you think it would be better to get him out in what passes for legally around here?”

 

The two other women shrugged.

 

Emma rolled her eyes. “Well what about what he will do to you?”

 

“He won't hurt her.” Red snuck an arm behind her lover and pulled her close. “She's his only friend. Except for you... sort of.”

 

Sad but true... “But he's been alone for much of his life- who says he wants friends?” Emma pointed out. “A hundred years or more alone- he's probably used to it.”

 

“Used to it, sure. But... killing someone you love is... not something anyone wants to do. Not even him. He's not _that_ much of a monster.” Ruby gulped and looked down at the ground.

 

“Shh, it's alright.” Belle drew Red close, tilting her head to rest on the other woman's forehead.

 

Emma recalled something about 'turning into a wolf' and 'bound up the boyfriend' from Henry's stories. One of the more Grimm-like sections, rather than Disney-esque.

 

“Regardless, since I am tasked to prevent escapes, I'm confiscating this.” Emma said, sticking it in her pocket. It seemed to take up no room, which was odd. She patted the pocked and could have sworn nothing was in there. “Well, that's handy.” She allowed. She looked up to see the two of them starting to get a bit frisky. “Hey, now, I'm still right here.”

 

“Oh... sorry, Emma.” Belle sad sheepishly.

 

“Listen, why don't you two move out on your own, then?”

 

“Where?” Red replied dryly. “Grandma freaked when she found out and disowned me. Not that her cabin is in good shape, anyway. But she's back there, I guess.” The brunette shook her head. “You would think she would be happy- now the curse will die with me. But somehow, she's not. I think the old bitch wanted it to continue.” She shook her head.

 

“And everyone I knew is either dead or my father's age. He's gone back to see if they want him to take part in leading, so I can't come. It would be a scandal. Not only because I am supposed to stay away to keep the town safe, but...” She glanced at Ruby.

 

“I.. see...” Emma said slowly.

 

“But Snow White has been very gracious. She said we could stay as long as we want.” Red finished.

 

“Well, she better! You were a good friend in the other world, Red.” Emma said.

 

“Oh, I was?” Red flushed slightly.

 

“Not that good a friend!” Emma laughed. Ruby smirked. “Though I...” She looked at Belle, who was tilting her head. “Nevermind.” Not good to bring up the sex dungeon and that many, many male and female partners now. “No, I mean, you helped us all out, Red, all the time. You were practically the girl glue. Or something. Keeping us all from being depressed. And you were even my deputy for a while.”

 

“Oh... I do sort of remember that.” Red got a wistful smile on her face, just before she lost all color to her skin. “Oh... my...”

 

“Yeah. The heart was returned to its owner, and everyone was fine.” Emma assured.

 

“If you say so.” Red said dubiously.

 

“That was King Midas' daughter's heart.” Emma confirmed.

  
“Oh. Interesting.” Red frowned contemplatively.

 

“So... I'll leave you two, then. Maybe lock the doors, ok? No matter what you are trying to hide, that's always a good idea.” Emma waved farewell.

 

“Thanks, Emma!” The two lovebirds called after her.


	9. It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time

 “Back for more? We are a glutton for punishment, aren't we?” Rumpelstiltskin bared his crooked, yellowed teeth in a parody of a smile. Emma observed him with a slight tilt to her head, taking in the gouges in the rock the perfect width to be from desperate fingernails, the pieces of rock thrown about and smashed against the wall. She knew at least some of that had been from her last visit, but there was more than could be accounted for in a brief fit of emotion. He had been throwing loose rock at her- those gouges left only rubble beneath them. She shook her head, but she knew what she needed to do. What she was duty and honor bound to do.

 

“I have been ordered to find and foil your escape plots.” Emma began as she opened up her folder, flipping through some papers. “So far I have encountered and thwarted seventeen.” She glanced up as she said this, studying his face intently. Despite the dark gold scaliness of his complexion and the low light, she could tell he was shocked. Rumpelstiltskin licked his lip nervously and had a frown on his face.

 

“Can't blame a monster for trying.” Rumpelstiltskin backed up into the shadows, his voice high pitched and shrill as he said the words, his body language guarded.

 

“I am almost certain that at least two of them were not instigated by you. Belle was behind one for certain.” Emma continued. She noted how he flinched at the mention of his former captive. “She still has a soft spot for you, you know.”

 

“Of course she does.” He sneered.

 

“I feel reasonably confident that I have uncovered all plots, but I will continue to investigate the matter to the fullest of my abilities.” Emma concluded. The ones that Henry had been cooking up recently had been the most amusing and difficult to tease out, the scamp. She was about a breath away from helping him, but she had given her word. She was pleased, however, that her son had such a strong streak of fairness in him. She just wished he would maybe go about it a bit less... _dangerously_. Nothing had been as bad as the drake, thankfully, but the sprite infestation (Operation: Dust Storm) had been about as bad...

 

“This sounds like a report you should be giving to your mother.” Rumpelstiltskin spit the last word out like a curse. “I know she would love to hear how they have once again bested the evil menace.” He laughed, high pitched and bitter. “All magic comes at a price~.” He quoted in sneering sing-song.

 

Emma snapped her folder closed and raised her eyebrow at him. “And what is the price of twenty five years of terrorizing the inhabitants of this land while they were temporally locked in misery?” She asked rhetorically.

 

Rumpelstiltskin bared his teeth, practically hissing. “I did nothing wrong. It is you that have reneged on the deal.” He rushed up to the front of the cage, almost crashing against it. He pointed his finger at Emma, the long nail ragged from where he had been tearing at the stone. “You think that because I am trapped here, that you can ignore my bargains. You owe me a favor, dearie. I will collect!”

 

Emma was trying to keep it cool, which was both easier and harder with him getting angrier and angrier- he was thus much less like the man she had grown to appreciate in Storybrooke- the sometimes ally, the man behind everything. But she could also tell he was frustrated and unhappy, and that that was a large portion of the change. “I know.” She said casually.

 

Rumpelstiltskin's finger drooped slightly in confusion, his brow furrowing. “What did you say, dearie?”

 

“I told them that there would be hell to pay. If not us, then our children's children's children.”

 

“Correc _t_.” He pronounced the 't' with a snap of finality, though he still looked unsure where she was going with that pronouncement.

 

“And I agree that, while judged by the rules I grew up with you are a murderer, here it is perfectly normal to 'slay' people for various reasons.” Emma shook her head in annoyance. “And I can only find evidence of you killing a long time ago.” And that only from Henry.

 

“What is your point?” Rumpelstiltskin snapped, withdrawing his finger and beginning to pace in the small cell. “I always play by the rules. No one else ever reads them, so I get blamed.” He fidgeted with the edge of his leather jerkin.

 

“My point is: they never told me not to free you for lack of cause or evidence of wrongdoing.” Emma smiled, twirling the key ring around her finger.

 

“What did you just say?” Rumpelstiltskin asked, his voice going a bit rough.

 

Instead of answering, Emma unlocked the door.

 

Rumpelstiltskin stared at it, his hands clenching and releasing.

 

“You're free to go.” Emma prompted.

 

His gold eyes snapped up to hers and she was slightly taken aback at the huge difference in color. She was used to having to search for his pupils in a sea of darkness, but now she could easily see them blown wide in shock.

 

“What.” He snapped. His voice was low and harsh, more like Gold's.

 

“You. Are. Free. To. Go.” Emma repeated, slowly, then swept her arm to indicate that he should leave the cell.

 

“I didn't ask for the favor.” He accused.

 

“I know. This is the right thing to do. They shouldn't have trapped you to begin with.”

 

The gold eyes narrowed at her. “They will be furious with you.”

 

“Yes.” Emma raised an eyebrow. “I do seem to be having trouble adjusting to this new reality. Oops.”

 

“You still owe me.” He stated uncertainly, beginning to back up against the wall.

 

“Oh, for the... I told you not to worry about the favor thing. I am doing my job. Sort of. Will you come out already?” She stalked into the cell after him, causing him to rear up against the back wall like he thought she was going to strike him. She shook her head and growled in annoyance, grasping around his bicep with her hand and pulling him toward the door.

 

When her hand touched him he flinched, but she ignored that in favor of getting him out of the cell. She noted with disgust that there weren't even any facilities and it didn't look like he had been fed in a while. Or at all. The comment about 'even a monster needing food' from when she had visited him before suddenly made a sickening amount of sense. The arm under her hand was bony and the leather loose. Her expression darkened.

 

The second they were out of the cell, Rumpelstiltskin gestured and sent her flying against the opposite wall. The impact was enough that it caused her to cough and wheeze slightly. She opening her eyes with a wince, expecting him to be gone. Instead he was just standing there. Looking utterly lost.

 

“Well. Obviously the 'no magic in the cave' was a bluff...” Emma muttered to herself as she picked herself up. She didn't move closer as she saw him tense.

 

“I don't understand.” He whined.

 

“I am letting you go. Go terrorize some villagers or something.”

 

“I killed a fairy godmother.” He challenged.

 

“Banished.”

 

“What?”

 

Emma bent to pick up her folder from where it had been thrown and pulled out a piece of vellum (a small part of her was thrilled and thought this was cool. Most thought it terribly gross to be holding a piece of dead animal). “She was banished and disgraced when you stole her wand. I will make a note that you _planned_ to kill her, though.”

 

Rumpelstiltskin steeped his fingers in front of his face, looking practically constipated.

 

“Will you just get out of here?” She asked in exasperation.

 

“I made the curse.” He offered, his fingers widening as if to push the words to her.

 

“And you broke it.” Emma wasn't impressed. “Go on, then, go back to your house.” She moved towards him making shooing motions. He looked to appalled at the suggestion. “What? It is your house, isn't it?”

 

“Of course it is my house.” He snapped.

 

“Then go.” She glared at him and he glared back. “Shoo, get!” His brow furrowed most impressively. Emma rolled her eyes. “I'll see you later, been nice to have you over, we should do it again sometime.” She finished sarcastically.

 

“Fine.” He sneered. With a crack he disappeared.

 

Emma felt a sliver of trepidation at that. Surely he hadn't taken that as an invitation? Well, no matter. Her conscience was clear.

 

“Yikes. If I had known it would have been that difficult to get him to leave, I would have just let one of the plots work out.” Though she knew that she would have had a hard time with that. It was her duty. People were counting on her. Even if they were being irrational alarmists about it. She shook her head and walked out of the dungeon, not bothering to tell the guards that there was nothing left to guard. She wasn't ready to face the music just yet.

 

OooOoOo

 

Predictably, the backlash was pretty severe.

 

“Emma!” That seemed to be all that Snow White could get out around her shock, horror and intense disappointment. Even the woman's magic-aura-thing was coiled back from Emma instead of tentatively patting at her like it normally did. Emma found she rather missed the sense of sunlight and songbirds.

 

“It had to be done. I don't know how you could live with yourselves, every day, when he was down there and we are free.” Emma crossed her arms over her chest and sort of wished she was in her armor. That might have made her feel a bit more... secure.

 

“You had no right...” James started. He shook his head.

 

“I had as much right to release him as you did to trick him and keep him.” Emma said stubbornly.

 

“This isn't just about us, Emma.” James said, rubbing his face. “The other kingdoms- our alliances hinge on the fact that we were keeping him prisoner. What will they do now that we have released him?”

 

“Oh, Emma.” Snow started to tear up.

 

“What?” Emma shifted uncomfortably.

 

“We are going to have to keep you under house arrest for the foreseeable future.” James said sadly.

 

Emma felt the tight band of panic ease a bit. Ok... so what? Not like she was really going anywhere anyway.

 

“And... you will have to do a cleansing quest, almost certainly.” Snow sniffed.

 

Ok, that sounded a bit more dangerous, potentially. “What's a cleansing quest?” Emma asked.

 

“They vary. Oh! I hope she doesn't have to do one for all the different kingdoms!” Snow looked at her husband, the king, in horror.

 

“Certainly not. We all can recall a bit about what it was like, there. They will go easy on her, for sure.” James said, though he didn't sound completely convinced.

 

“Oh, my. But she released _Rumpelstiltskin_ , not a common monster or even a dragon.” Snow replied worriedly.

 

“Listen, if I have to slay a dragon or rescue a princess or whatever, it's fine. I'll do it. I know what I did was something that you did not agree with, but it was the right thing to do.” Emma stood proudly. “I will stand by my actions and I would do them again, if you tricked him unfairly to trap him again. It wasn't right, and you shouldn't have done it. You all should have read the details of what you were signing, if you were willing to use his dubious gifts to begin with.”

 

“Go, Emma!” Henry cheered, but quickly was silenced both by the glares of Snow and James and by their auras pushing down on him.

 

“Hey, leave the kid out of it.” Emma said gruffly. “He had nothing to do with it.”

 

“Which is our only salvation in this manner.” James sighed. “We cannot allow you to inherit at his point.”

 

“Ok.” Emma shrugged. Even, perhaps 'yippee!'

 

“Emma!” Snow looked scandalized again.

 

“What? I am older than both of you, physically.” Emma pointed out. “I know nothing about this world, and I don't want to rule. I think that just about sums that up.”

 

“Emma, it is a duty, we have been over this!” Snow snapped.

 

“One which, logically, wouldn't fall to me, anyway. And now with this on top of people calling me a sorcerer for fiddling about with levitation, it's really for the best. Henry will make a much better king than I would a queen.” Emma said, noting that Henry puffed back up with pride.

 

“Guards.” Snow said, somewhere between cold and disappointed. “Please take my daughter to her room.”

 

Emma tried not to smile at that. It really wasn't that funny. But whatever happened, she had done the right thing. So... yeah. She sighed as she was led off. She could defeat all of them, individually, but probably not as a group. Also... her mom would kick her ass three ways to Tuesday.

 

Yes, she had done the right thing. Now to convince the sick feeling in the pit of her stomach of that.

 

OoOOOOoo

 

“Why, hello dearie. How very nice to see you again!” The lilting tones sent a shiver down her spine.

 

Emma turned and blinked a few times. Nope- still there. Rumpelstiltskin's grin was wide, his eyes looking positively feral. “Why do you have a toddler?” Emma finally settled on. Other questions like 'come back to take revenge?' or 'oh, is it my turn for a conjugal visit?' she immediately vetoed.

 

“Oh, this old thing... amazing what people leave just, lying around.” He rolled his head and free arm as emphasis, giggling maniacally.

 

“Right. I should, I suppose, be more specific.” She had no hope he would actually tell her the details of the kidnapping/human trafficking. “Why is the toddler in my bedroom?”

 

“Well, you're under house arrest, aren't you, my dear? Where else would I find you?”

 

Emma glared at him. “Even without the babe, you being in here is going to get me in trouble.”

 

“Oh, no trouble! No one will ever know I was here. I put up...” He pointed up with his arm and wiggled his hand to indicated magic... or his insanity... “barriers~.” He said finally.

 

“Ok, fine. Answer the question- why do you have the baby?!”

 

For a split second, he seemed unsure. “His mother is... thorough.”

 

“Uh huh.” Emma waved her hand in a 'go on' gesture.

 

“She read the fine print rather quickly, you see, so I have a need to go to a battle of wits.”

 

Emma was still not impressed.

 

“Which I can't very well do with a toddler on the hip!” He snapped. The baby started to cry, and Rumpelstiltskin turned his attention to him, cooing and bouncing the baby on a bent knee, balancing awkwardly. It was a bit eerie to see him do so, considering she had known him for so long as requiring a cane. He stuck his tongue out and crossed his eyes and the baby giggled. A bright smile broke out on his face, and Emma found herself melting. Because of the baby. Obviously.

 

“Fine. But we are going to have a long discussion after you figure out where the child is going.”

 

Rumpelstiltskin looked at her, a gleam in his eye.

 

“Which had damn well better be by the end of the night.” Emma said, crossing her arms. “You will come directly back here and stay until I am satisfied.” She tried to ignore the fact that having _something_ to do was making the evening much more pleasant... and that seeing him here, unconcerned and not trying to do... well, there was a baby, but he wasn't trying to kill her family, for example, so maybe that could be forgiven.

 

He eyed her, sizing up his options. Though if he was coming to _her_ for babysitting, she wasn't sure what those could possibly be. He went to open his mouth and she cut him off.

 

“Don't you dare try to call this as the favor. I will find a way to get a knight in here to... do... something.” She looked at the door. If she so much as stuck her head out, they would certainly come in. There were at least two on guard at her doorway.

 

Rumpelstiltskin grinned maliciously. “Your threats could use some work, dearie.”

 

“Do we have a deal or not?”

 

“Deal.” The way he said it made her instantly think she had made a terrible mistake. Not unusual in her interactions with the man.

 

Emma gingerly took the child. “Well, little man, it looks like the two of us will have some time to get to know each other. Has he been...” She looked up to an empty room. “Fed.” She finished, frowning. “Great.”

 

OoOoOOoO

 

The clock was beginning to strike midnight when Rumpelstiltskin finally reappeared.

 

“Cutting it a bit close, aren't you?” Emma grumbled (softly- the babe was finally sleeping). She looked down at him (her? She hadn't had to change a diaper- fortunate, as there were none to change into), but he did not seem in the least bit disturbed, sleeping away curled up against her shoulder.

 

“You're in a fairy tale, now, dearie. Some things come with the territory.” He whispered.

 

Something in his voice made her look up. She blinked- he looked dreadful. Tired and defeated and almost pale in the candlelight. “You lost.” It wasn't a question.

 

Instead of answering, Rumpelstiltskin ran a clawed nail along the toddler's face, looking sad. “Well, child. Looks like your mother is very determined to keep you and cheat poor old Rumpelstiltskin out of his just reward.”

 

The eleventh toll rang out and he closed his eyes briefly before waving a hand. The toddler disappeared and left Emma's chest feeling cold. “Cutting it really close.” She observed.

 

“Well, I am your prisoner, then.” Rumpelstiltskin spat, sweeping into a shallow, mocking bow. “What would my lady have of me?”

 

“For starters, would you have a seat?”

 

“Is that a request?” He asked. “Or an order?” His voice dropped to a growl.

 

“A request.” Emma yawned. “You can stay standing if you want.”

 

Rumpelstiltskin crossed his arms over his chest.

 

“Alright, fine. I can see why I would want to be on my feet as much as possible after having a limp for so long...” He sat. Emma smirked, then stretched out. She opened her eyes after a satisfying over-head, full body stretch and saw him staring at her. “What? If I moved even a twitch he woke up. I am so stiff I may never move again.”

 

“After that demonstration, I rather doubt it.” His voice was wry. “Can we get on with this, then. I would like to seek my bed before the dawn.”

 

“How it took so long for me to believe Henry when you spout phrases like _that_ I will never know.” She mused. His lip quirked halfheartedly. She fiddled with the hem of her tunic, trying to think how she could word 'are you cooking up an evil plot to destroy my family' without putting ideas in his head.

 

“Honestly, Emma.” Rumpelstiltskin rolled his eyes. “I am not going to take _revenge_.” He said it with distaste.

 

“No?” Emma asked, genuinely curious as to why.

 

“How... uncouth do you think me?” He sniffed. “And so utterly boring.”

 

“O... k...” Emma said slowly.

 

“You did let me out, my dear, and all the deals were canceled rather thoroughly by the curse breaking.” He tapped his foot impatiently. “I do rather want to go to bed, though, so please just..” He rolled his wrist, indicating that she should get on with it.

 

“So.... you owe me a favor, then?” Emma grinned. He scowled. “Ok, ok.” Emma bit her lip. “So. I'm a bit lost why you are taking babies from people that would rather keep them.”

 

“Was that a question?” He sneered, though he looked a bit confused.

 

“No. I'm setting the stage for the question. You were a lawyer for a bit- bear with me.” He quirked an eyebrow. “So... I know for a fact that you don't always make deals that end up terrible for the wisher. In fact, a good number of them are the basis for how people find their happily-ever-after, the evil queen is overthrown, etc.”

 

Rumpelstiltskin steeped his fingers and waited.

 

“And I also know for a fact that you take children from people who cannot care for them, and place them in... er...” Seeing as she was using herself and Henry as an example, she couldn't really say 'loving'...

 

“A home where he can grown, flourish, and turn into a proper little prince?” Rumpelstiltskin offered.

 

“Exactly.” Emma nodded. “So why do you make the stakes so high? You always leave this loophole and then dare people to find it. Sometimes bending over backwards to see it through.” Again, their personal history proving just that. “I don't get it.”

 

“What's not to get? I like to live dangerously.” He growled the last bit. Then he finished in sing-song; “What's life without a bit of challenge!”

 

“What about making deals for... bread and stuff? I know that you have in the past.”

 

“Ah, yes- I have to eat, but, I have to make a bit of magic as well, now, don't I? Can't have the whole world thinking that I am someone who animates cookies for the townsfolk's entertainment.”

 

“Because letting them win their children back _and_ get what they want makes you so scary.” Emma said wryly.

 

“Would you prefer I just slaughtered a group of folk and used their blood for my incantations, then?” He asked darkly, his scowl not quite hiding that he did look tired and worn.

 

Emma sighed. “I know you have a heart in there somewhere. I don't think you would do that.”

 

Rumpelstiltskin's laughter burst out of him, high and shrill. “Oh, really?”

 

“You know what, never mind.” She sighed. “I'm tired.”

 

“Does that mean you are sat-is-fied?” He asked, his syllables dancing on the last word.

 

“Hell, no.”

 

“Then ask.” He leaned forward.

 

“Why me? Why did you bring me a child?”

 

He tssked. “That was hardly worth dealing over. You already know the answer to that! You're the only one I can trust.”

 

Emma stared at him. That couldn't really be the answer, could it? Yet... who else was there? Maybe Belle... she wouldn't judge him too harshly. But she had betrayed him and had said to his face that she wanted to change him against his will. As far as Emma knew, Belle _still_ wanted to break the curse. It made a bizarre, sad sort of sense.

 

“Also- the only one who I knew exactly where to find you. It's not like you could have done anything with the babe besides turn him over to your parents, which would be admitting you were talking with me.” He hopped up and bowed to her, smirking. “Until next time, then, dearie.” Rumpelstiltskin snapped his fingers.

 

“What, no... What?” She blinked in confusion, finding herself on her bed, in her night clothes. “Oh, for the love of...” She glared at the room in general before sighing. She supposed that, with that answer, she was pretty much satisfied.

 

Hopefully next time, though, there wouldn't be any more babies. “Yes, feel free to drop by whenever it is most inconvenient.” She muttered to the canopy, frowning.

 

OoOoOOoo

 

“Jesus Christ!” Emma yelled- or she would have, if she hadn't been just awakened from a weight landing on either side of her chest. Instead it sounded more like “Ungh sss Chrie!” She was pleased to note, however, that she had a knife point aimed precious few centimeters from her assailant's abdomen. They had let her keep her weapons while confined... thankfully. And after he had shown up a few nights ago, she had taken to keeping her paring knife under her pillow.

 

“Rumpelstiltskin.” The man in question helpfully corrected.

 

“What the hell are you doing here? What time is it?” Ultimately, she didn't mind. As being kept in her room was _even more_ boring than it had been simply living in this time, so any visitor was very welcome. She had almost cried she was so happy when Henry and Belle had brought her a book on politics that morning. _Politics._

 

“Two hours before sunrise.” He replied easily.

 

Emma groaned and rubbed her forehead with the hand not holding a blade.

 

“That won't damage me too permanently, dearie. Here, use this one.” He held out a dagger, pinching the tip of the blade between a forefinger and thumb. The inscription on the wavy metal read his name.

 

“The fu...” Emma growled. “That had better not be the real dagger.”

 

Rumpelstiltskin giggled in a rather insane way, but did not answer or move from his position.

 

Emma winced and put her dagger back under her pillow, grabbing the one he held out to her with her other hand. Rumpelstiltskin leaned forward eagerly, his knees falling to the mattress from his position of perching on his toes. The expression on his face was extremely intent, his smile wide and looking almost like a skull. Emma looked at him oddly before putting that dagger, too, on the bedside table. He followed her movement and the energy seemed to drain out of him.

 

“So.” Emma tried to sound reasonable, which was difficult, considering the circumstances. “To what do I owe the pleasure of you straddling me in the middle of the night with no warning?”

 

“Pleasure?” He purred the word out, leaning closer.

 

Emma raised an eyebrow before planting a firm hand in the middle of his chest and pushing him off of her. If she thought he had the slightest intention of following that up, she might have been a bit less annoyed. As it was, however... She sat up and regarded him coolly.

 

“Well, dearie, you did say to drop by.”

 

She rubbed her face. “I would have thought that it at least implied while I was conscious...” She grumbled. She blinked. “And you had left already! I was speaking sarcastically!”

 

“Ah, devil's in the details!”

 

Emma sighed. “Well, what do you want? Do I need to babysit some brat before you can trade for... a goose that shits gold eggs or something?”

 

“So crude.” He sniffed. His eyes turned contemplative. “Would you?”

 

“What?”

 

“Watch another for me? You made your displeasure quite clear the last time.”

 

“I am not having this conversation half asleep and in some ridiculous sleeping dress thing.” Emma grumbled, getting out of bed and getting some water to splash her face.

 

“You would have this conversation in other circumstances?” Rumpelstiltskin looked intrigued.

 

Emma crossed her arms over her chest and watched as he waved his hand. She started when she felt the cloth shift under her arms. She looked down at an elaborate ball gown. “Oh, hell no.”

 

“No?” Rumpelstiltskin asked mock innocently.

 

She glared at him until she felt the ripple again. This time she is in a tunic and breeches. “I suppose it will do. Tea?”

 

“The parents won their child back. Again.” He said abruptly, his voice flat.

 

“Um, ok.” Emma turned back to the frowning man, waiting for him to continue. “I knew that already?”

 

“Another one!” He snapped. “The clauses were always there, of course, but no one ever reads the contract. Why did they read it? At first I thought it a fluke...” He wrung his hands and started to pace.

 

“Well, that might have something to do with the fact that I yelled at the entire court about how they should have read their contracts. It was more to point out that they shouldn't have been mad at _you_ but at _themselves_.”

 

He shot a glare at her.

 

“What? It's only good sense.”

 

“You are ruining my business.” He snarled, his voice teetering close to screeching.

 

“Hah. I saw your shop. If your house is anything like it, I should be calling those people from Hoarders. You don't need more stuff.” Emma retorted.

 

“That is a common misconception, Emma dearest. Most small businesses are quite cash poor. They need to constantly do business or falter and die.”

 

Emma blinked- that sounded much more like Mr. Gold than the insane imp she had been seeing lately. It really made her wonder how much of him had gone to Storybrooke and how much had come back. Of anyone, he had the most chance of being unchanged between the two. Well, besides her. All the other characters... people... inhabitants... they had changed as well, to merge between the two personas rather than being purely one or the other. Or at least, that is what Belle said, as she was the only one to have occasion to know the others while not under the curse herself.

 

Emma shrugged. “Think of it as another level of challenge. I'm sure it is boring to win all the time by default.” She replied.

 

“Hmm.” He tapped a finger on his chin. “I suppose. I do still need a child, however.”

 

“You already took my first-born, so don't look at me.” Emma said cheerfully.

 

“I could take your second.” He offered helpfully.

 

“In exchange for what? Tons of wealth, the keys to the kingdom? I already have that.” She was bemused about it, too. Long lost princess- she had never been the frilly type of girl that had ever fantasized that _that_ was possible.

 

“Or true love and happily ever after?” Rumpelstiltskin crooned, leaning closer.

 

“I've heard those lines before. How do you think I ended up with Henry?” Emma asked, leaning in conspiratorially close.

 

“Ah, but I can actually follow through on those 'lines'.” He smirked.

 

Emma's eyebrow quirked and she patted him on the cheek- only once as he started and danced away from the contact. “That's what all the boys say, you charmer.” She teased, diplomatically ignoring his almost comically grumpy expression. “The only way you are getting near my second born is if you are the father.” She said with finality.

 

He looked at her like she had just proposed he find a baby in a cabbage patch. Sort of like he wasn't sure if they were still teasing or if she was trying to trick him somehow.

 

“And if you take our child and sell him or her off to a complete stranger, I will do something disfiguring but non-life-threatening to your genitals.” Emma said sweetly.

 

That broke him out of his funk. “Why, Emma... are you flirting? Talking about the monster's genitals? I do believe you should be acting more the lady, seeing as you are royalty.”

 

“Disgraced royalty.” Emma reminded him. She ran her hand down the length of the tunic contemplatively. “If I wear this, will it turn back to a nightgown in the middle of the day?” She mused.

 

“Only if I so choose it. My spellwork is...” He paused leaning forward and pointing a finger in the air and grinning, “the best.” With an arrogant waggle of his head, he stood back upright.

 

“So... yes. Probably right when one of the other kingdoms' emissaries comes to pay me a call so I can grovel.” Emma sighed.

 

Rumpelstiltskin didn't answer, but his Cheshire grin was answer enough.

 

“Right. Well, at least pretend you can't pop in while I'm naked and let me get dressed properly.”

 

“As you wish, highness.” He said mockingly, before disappearing with a crack.

 

Emma wondered what he had actually been there for. He had danced around the question and she hadn't been awake enough to bring herself to care. As she laced her boots she noticed that the dagger was still on the night table. She traced the letters of his name, frowning. What was he playing at?

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was the first part that I wrote and I loved it so much I had to make a back story on how it could work, and lo, this story was born!


	10. It's All Greek To Me

The day Midas' entourage was to arrive, they finally let Emma out of her room. Considering her only visitors had been Rumpelstiltskin (twice), Henry (four times) and Belle (twice), she was grateful. She had been about to get cabin fever _bad_. As opposed to just being stir crazy, which she had passed on day two.

 

“Emma! What are you doing?”  
  


Emma turned slowly to see her son glaring daggers at her. “Eating an apple... why?” Did he still have a hang-up because of the Queen? These were one hundred percent non-cursed apples. She felt a bit disappointed that her first hour of freedom her son was mad at her for an unknown reason and not happy to see her.

 

“No, not that. What are you _holding_.”

 

Emma looked down at her knife in bewilderment. She was just pealing it. She looked around at the courtyard- other people had little bits of fruit they were munching on. The procession would be announced in plenty of time to clean any juices off their hands and get in positions before arrival.

 

“Your knife!” Henry hissed urgently.

 

Emma blinked and looked at it, before nearly dropping it. When her limp fingers let it droop and the peeled skin slid away to reveal “Rum” And “tskin” she quickly firmed her grip. She had made sure to keep it on her person, as she could sense... something coming from it. But she had forgotten and pulled it out of her boot where she had put it where usually kept her normal dagger.

 

“That's the dagger of the Dark One!” Henry protested, looking at her as if she had just killed his puppy. “I thought you said you released him because it was the right thing to do, not because...” He trailed off then, looking forsaken. “How could you do that? Let him go and take his power? If you just said _that_ they wouldn't have a problem.” He huffed. “But it's wrong, Emma! No one should be a slave like that.” He crossed his arms defiantly.

 

“Shh!” Emma hissed urgently. “Listen, I didn't have it then.”

 

“Then why do you have it now?” Henry asked, not buying it.

 

“I don't know! Ok? The 'golden viper' dropped in on me a couple times while I was trapped in my room- once literally. I don't know why he gave it to me.”

 

“You didn't take it?”Henry asked in confusion.

 

“Yeah I took it, right from his hands. He practically shoved it in my face.”

 

Henry frowned. “But... why would he want to give you control?”

 

“I don't know.” Emma said helplessly. “Why does he do anything?”

 

Henry rolled his eyes. “For like fifty reasons, the most important of which you probably won't ever guess. Didn't you read the book?”

 

“Yeah...” Some of it, anyway. She'd read... well, skimmed... parts of it. Enough to realize that the dagger showing up was... odd. “I don't think it's the real one.” She said honestly.

 

“You didn't make him do anything?” Henry asked.

 

“You were just saying how wrong it would be to make him.” Emma said dryly.

 

“Well, yeah... but just to test it.” Henry said.

 

“No- it's a copy, I'm sure of it. Why would he give me the real one?”

 

“Who else would he give it to?” Henry asked.

 

“No one- he would hide it somewhere safe.” Emma replied. She cleaned it quickly and stuck it back in the top of her boot.

 

“Are you going to test it?” Henry asked.

 

“No, definitely not. I'll just confuse myself. If he does what I ask then it could be him just playing along. If he doesn't, maybe there is a loop-hole, or a certain way to ask.” Emma shook her head.

 

“Heh. Yeah.” Henry smiled.

 

They stood idly against the wall, Emma enjoying her apple. The sun was beginning to turn the world into an orange-pink version of itself by the time the horns finally sounded.

 

Emma stood up and walked with her son over to where her parents were standing. “Well, time to greet the guests.”

 

Snow White and James smiled up at the procession. James moved to help Kathryn... well, Princess Abigail, she supposed... off of her horse.

 

“It is good to see you again.” James said warmly.

 

“Είναι καλό να είναι εδώ.” Abigail replied.

 

“Er...” Emma glanced around. No one else seemed phased by the words coming out of her mouth.

 

“Γεια σου, η Έμμα. Δεν μπορώ να πω ότι είμαι συγκλονισμένος είστε δημιουργούμε τώρα προβλήματα.” Abigail smiled at her.

 

Emma could hear her name in all of that, strangely accented, but otherwise... “Um. I'm sorry? I don't understand what you are saying.”

 

“You don't?” Henry asked, looking puzzled.

 

“Um... no?” Emma looked at her son askance.

 

Abigail looked at Snow and Charming helplessly. “Γιατί δεν μπορώ να κατανοώ το; Δεν καταράστηκε?”

 

“No, she isn't cursed.” Snow frowned at Emma, troubled.

 

Emma rubbed her chin in thought. If she was hearing correctly- than the other people were speaking a different language. But, like in Storybrooke when Gold had started off in another language, it seemed that they could all understand each other. The logical conclusion was magic. Which made her twitch a bit to even think (the logical conclusion is _magic!?!)_. But, assuming it was magic, perhaps if she saw something in the aura?

 

King Midas came over, observing the confusion. “Κακή αγαπητέ, δεν μεγαλώνουν σε καλή εταιρεία. Θέλω να ελπίζω ότι δεν είναι μόνιμα απενεργοποιημένο!”

 

“My daughter is not disabled!” Snow snapped.

 

Emma watched carefully as the two talked... there! She could see tiny threads of their... aura, for lack of a better word- it was touching. Emma reached out with her hand to try to touch the one going from Henry, but she passed right through. Well, ok, that made a sort of sense. She needed to touch it with her aura? How to move it, though? She had seen that other's threads would touch her on occasion, especially her mother, father, and son. The feel of Snow- bright and cheery; James- warm and comforting; Henry- quicksilver light... she felt for them. Something sort of broke free, more like when she was calling the sword. Of course! That was magic- it made sense. Emma _pulled_ at Henry as if he were a sword.

 

“Oof!” Henry staggered sideways. “Emma!” He hissed. “What are you doing?”

 

“You could tell that was me?”

 

“Yeah, of course!” He looked at her oddly. “You don't need to be so forceful.”

 

“You know how to do it?” Emma asked in shock.

 

“Well, duh- didn't you ever play Against the Wall as a kid?”

 

“Um... no?” Unless Henry meant what she sure as hell hoped he didn't mean, then, yes. But she would beat the living tar out of anyone that sexually assaulted her son, then resurrect them _and_ Regina and kill them again. Heartless, evil witch that Regina had been, she had damn well better have protected her son.

 

“Here, like this.” Henry closed his eyes and his tongue stuck out the side of his mouth. “Ok, now move, and I'll try to find you.”

 

“I don't think now's the time, kid.” Emma looked at the other dignitaries, who were still hotly debating.

 

“No, I think you're onto something, Emma.” Henry said urgently, opening his eyes again. “I feel them, so I understand them. Everyone knows where each other is. That's how it's always been. But I always have to reach out to you on purpose.”

 

“Right.” Emma rubbed the back of her neck self-consciously.

 

“It's like listening, but feeling, too. It's part of that.” Henry said unhelpfully.

 

Emma frowned and closed her eyes. She exhaled and relaxed, letting the flickers of color that had been interrupting her sleep cover her vision. She could see the auras again- brighter now, without the physical world on top of it. She could see herself, too, gold and red and little hints of black contrast. She reached with it, like for an object. _'Use the Force...'_ But then just touched the little tendril coming off of Henry. Suddenly, she could feel him- his worry that she would not succeed, his sureness that she would.

 

Emma smiled, then moved to touch Abigail.

 

“Οχι, είναι ωραία. Δεν χρειαζόμαστε να αναζήτηση in our land. It will be just fine in yours. She understands your people, doesn't she?”

 

“Whoah.” Emma said in wonder, opening her eyes.

 

“Το θέμα δεν είναι εκεί!” Midas retorted.

  
Emma hastily placed another tendril on him.

 

“The point is the treaty was broken. Again. I can't believe I am still talking with you people!” Midas ranted.

 

“Haha! I got it!” Emma crowed.

 

“Oh! Lovely! Emma, what was wrong?” Abigail asked.

 

“Emma didn't grow up with magic.” Henry said confidently.

 

“Yeah. Henry showed me how to relax into it.” Emma scratched the back of her head.

 

“Oh, I am so glad.” Abigail said with a smile. “I thought you might have been of a common mind after all, even being such a hero.”

 

“Common mind?” Emma asked, not sure if she should be insulted or not.

 

“Most commoners only understand their own tongue, unless they are speaking to someone who already can know multiple human tongues.” Snow replied. “I should have thought, Emma, I am sorry! It is something that we learn as children.”

 

“You can learn as an adult.” James added, giving Snow a pointed look, obviously referencing his own peasant upbringing.

 

“Oh, I am sure that even some peasants can Speak. I haven't known someone to go about asking, though. It is rather rude.” Abigail said.

 

“You can always make a deal with that devil. Any deal with him and the magic of it will twist you enough you practically get it as a bonus.” King Midas huffed. “Well, now that we got that part settled, I have a dragon that needs slaying.”

 

“Another one?” James asked dubiously.

 

“You didn't do a very good job. The nest is back, and has been breeding since we were trapped in the curse.”

 

“You can't send Emma into a dragon nest!” James retorted hotly.

 

Emma rather agreed with him, actually.

 

“She can get her friend to help her, as a favor for releasing him.” Midas said nastily.

 

“Well!” Snow broke in. “Perhaps we could all have some supper, first. I know that I function better on a full stomach.” She led the delegation through the doors.

 

“Oh, boy.” Emma winced.

 

“You can beat a nest of dragons!” Henry said confidently.

 

“I can't even beat my own mother at fencing.” She grumbled.

 

OooOOoO

 

Emma shifted uncomfortably on her... steed. It was a large white beast of relatively even temperament, for which she was glad. Despite magic and lessons, she still wasn't totally on board with the vehicles having reasoning capabilities of their own. The horse still startled her every time it snatched at the surrounding bushes and grabbed leaves.

 

She was tired, too, and not just from the ride, though that was definitely part of it. Keeping the threads to enable her to speak with King Midas' delegation was exhausting. She didn't know how everyone else did it. Maybe it was like a muscle and she needed to exercise it? Or maybe it was something that she wasn't doing quite right?

 

“Εδώ η οι δράκοι είναι.”

 

Emma turned to Abigail, threading out a tendril to her aura. “Sorry?”

 

“The dragons are right through there, Emma.” Abigail looked worried.

 

“Ok.” Emma turned her horse to the side trail. Or, at least, attempted to. The beast kept plodding along after the delegation. Emma cursed the beast and kicked it, making it fling its head back and nip at her armor.

 

“Are you sure you are going to be alright?” Abigail asked.

 

“Θα είναι ωραία.”

 

Emma didn't bother putting a thread to King Midas. She was sure he had either said something disparaging (which she didn't want to hear) or had basically downplayed his daughter's concerns.

 

“I'll be fine.” She said, unknowingly repeating King Midas. “I'll just camp here, get the 'lay of the land' or whatever, and then see what to do about the dragons.” She shrugged. Not like there was a choice. She had released the imp, so she had to pay the price. Their system was rather eye-for-an-eye, but at least it was logical.

 

“Well, alright.” Abigail said worriedly.

 

“Όταν τελειώσετε, αποστολή λέξη με το περιστέρι.” King Midas said in an instructing tone.

 

“Sorry?” Emma said, looping a thread tiredly though the other man's aura.

 

“I said- send word with the pigeon when you are done.” He sniffed. “If we don't hear from you in a fortnight, we will be back out. You had better hope that you have died.” He added.

 

“Papa!” Abigail hissed.

 

“What? They were supposed to keep Rumpelstiltskin captive, and _she_ blithely released him. I will have my payment.” With that, Midas turned his horse and started to trot away.

  
Emma had to reign in her horse from following.

 

“Well, good luck.” Abigail smiled sadly at Emma.

 

“Yeah, thanks.” Emma replied with a twist to her mouth. As the last horse disappeared around the bend, Emma's horse knickered after them, and then proceeded to pout, not moving the slightest even with Emma kicking, cursing and cajoling the beast to move. Emma let the threads drop with a pleased sigh. She looked around- it was the beginning of twilight, but she could see a lean-to over in a clearing off to the side. She dropped off the horse, nearly falling all the way to the ground as he legs, not used to such a long time in the saddle, refused to hold her. She managed to stay upright by gripping desperately at the saddle. The horse looked at her like it thought her made. “Yeah, laugh it up fuzz ball.” Emma muttered, then unexpectedly found tears in the corner of her eyes.

 

Emma sniffed and wiped at her nose defiantly, pulling her steed over to the small traveller's shelter. She tied him up by the reins and pulled off his gear, giving him a good rub-down. Then she let him loose in the small coral in the back. “Don't leave me, buddy. As much as the ride sucked, walking back would be worse.” The ride had taken two days... in a car it might have been 3 hours. So, pretty far. Thought woods. Which meant she would get lost for sure.

 

Emma spread her bedroll inside the lean-to and broke out a ration bar, gnawing on the end of it but not really hungry. Something about having to fight dragons in the near future took her appetite.

 

“Well, at least it can't get worse.” She muttered.

 

“Ah, ah! You should know better than to say that, love.”

 

Emma rubbed her forehead. “You're right. You weren't here, so obviously it could have gotten worse.”

 

Rumpelstiltskin's torso appeared from the top of the lean-to roof. His grin, upside-down, was disturbing. Emma wasn't sure if it would be more or less disturbing right side up, but she was willing to give him benefit of the doubt in this case. He chuckled, high pitched and brittle, his outline blending with the coming night.

 

Despite that, she felt her lips tugging up into a smile.

 

“Oho, dearie- keep looking at me like that and I might think you actually enjoy my company.” He said, before flipping into a somersault to land directly in front of her.

 

“Yeah, well. I've been making poor decisions of late.” Emma allowed.

 

“So!” Rumpelstiltskin rubbed his hands. “What do you have for trade?”

 

“My scintillating company?” Emma replied wryly.

 

“It would take a lifetime of your company for me to slay dragons for you.” Rumpelstiltskin giggled.

 

“Fair enough.” Emma yawned.

 

Rumpelstiltskin frowned and shuffled forward. “That was not a deal!” He hissed.

  
“Oh?” Emma faked innocence. “It seemed like a legitimate offer to me.”

 

Rumpelstiltskin looked nonplussed for a second before his smile curved cruelly over his face again. “Ah, ah! You would have to be with me, for the rest of your life!”

 

“Yes, because that deal worked out so well for you last time, you decided to use it again. I get it. If the curse hadn't nulled the deals, as you say, then you would still have Belle.” Emma said dryly. She caught the flicker of grief only because she was staring intently at his face.  
  


“That deal was not annulled by the _curse_!” Rumpelstiltskin hissed.

 

“Is that so?” Emma asked, genuinely curious. The way he said it implied it was annulled by something else... “Oh, right. You let her go.” She lifted an eyebrow in challenge, but he didn't say anything. “So... the terms of our deal, then.”

 

Rumpelstiltskin pouted at her, trying to look like he was pouting to annoy her, but she had been around him enough she thought she could tell he was genuinely upset.

 

“What? You don't want my company?” Emma asked, her eyes dancing.

 

Rumpelstiltskin fidgeted but didn't say anything.

 

Emma sighed. “You aren't making this very fun.” She told him.

 

“Fun?” Rumpelstiltskin blinked.

 

“Yeah. I have no intention of making a deal with you. What kind of knight would I be if I can't complete a quest by myself?” She asked rhetorically.

 

“You were... joking with me?” Rumpelstiltskin looked scandalized but inordinately pleased at the same time.

 

She shrugged. It was dangerous to play that game with him this way or as Gold, but he got the best of her so often, she liked making him a bit uncomfortable.

 

Though he was both more and less sure as Rumpelstiltskin than as Gold. She was sure that the trick wouldn't have ruffled Gold's feathers; he would have just smiled at her enigmatically. It probably had to do with the way that even words had power, here. In the other world, there would have been many ways to pull out of an implied contract. But at the same time, Rumpelstiltskin, underneath the insane posturing, was just more... relaxed. His body was loose, his movements younger, his eyes bright with glee.

 

“Freedom looks good on you.” Emma commented.

 

Rumpelstiltskin tilted his head, golden eyes regarding her quizzically. “You are an odd duck, you know that?” He asked. “Quack!” He added, grinning until his eyes were wreathed in happy wrinkles. Which made how rapidly he transitioned to seriousness somewhat alarming. “But you do need my help, Emma.”

 

“It's alright.” Emma replied.

 

Rumpelstiltskin inched forward, until he was practically in her lap. Emma almost missed what he was saying as her pulse suddenly sped up. From fear. Probably. “This is the exact sort of bravado that killed your father's twin.” He hissed urgently. “Take my aid.”

 

“No.” Emma said stubbornly.

 

Rumpelstiltskin looked abruptly furious. “Take it!” He barked, his nose almost pushing into hers.

 

Emma sucked in a breath and focused all of her will against the sudden, almost overwhelming urge to close the scant centimeter separating them and press her lips to his. Ye, god... it was the adrenaline. And the likely death in the morning. And the memory of how damn good he was... wait, no, not that last one. She winced.

 

“Emma...” Rumpelstiltskin whined, the air from his words whispering over her lips.

 

Emma shivered. “I'm not going to ask for your help.” She said shakily. “If you want to give it so badly, then you can.” She added.

 

Finally he rocked back on his heels, looking at her owlishly. “All magic comes at a price!” He said in the familiar sing-song.

 

“Yes, yes.” Emma rolled her eyes. “Which is why I am going to do it on my own.” Thank God for that annoying little ditty- her libido was knocked back several notches. She was reasonably sure that she wasn't going to pounce him now.

 

Rumpelstiltskin growled.

 

Emma gulped. No, she told her libido, _not_ going to pounce him.

 

“Well, that's your call, dearie.” He rolled his eyes and shot straight to his feet.

  
Emma sighed in relief. She laid down on her bed roll, grateful for the space between them. “Yup. My call.” Emma yawned.

 

“Your call to face _four_ dragons _alone_.” He sang off key.

 

“Thank you for telling me how many there are.” Emma mumbled sleepily.

 

“Ch!” Rumpelstiltskin huffed.

 

“Good night, Rumpelstiltskin.” Emma said pointedly. She wasn't sure if he left or not, but he was silent at least, so she ignored the situation and fell asleep. She had never been so grateful for being so tired in her life.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I chose to make the Midas crew speak Greek because it's a Greek story. See what I did there? Lol. I speak absolutely zero Greek, so I am at the mercy of the online translator. I assume it's Engrish (well, the Greek equivalent).  
> Bad online translations of what Abigail is saying: “It is good to be here.” “Hello, Emma. I can't say that I am shocked you are stirring up trouble.” “Why can't I understand her? Is she cursed?”  
> Midas: “Poor dear, not growing up in proper company. I hope she isn't permanently disabled!”  
> Abigail: “She doesn't need to quest...”  
> Midas: “That is not the point!”
> 
> There is more Greek, but it gets repeated within the story, so I didn't note the translations. It's all online converters, anyway, so probably terrible.


	11. Fus Ro Da

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If anyone is curious, Emma drank willow bark tea, which is a natural source of aspirin.

 The next day there was no sign of the imp, so Emma made sure her horse was settled- the beast seemed content to munch on the overgrown grass in the paddock- and set off to check on the dragons.

 

She found them easily enough- the valley was awash in scorch marks and the four were sunning themselves on various outcroppings of rock. Periodically one would stretch, and the sun would glint off of their dark scales. The largest one belched and blew a plume of fire into the air.

 

“Still don't want my help, dearest?”

 

“Jesus!” Emma squeaked, jumping and twisting to come face to face with Rumpelstiltskin. Again.

 

“Rumpelstiltskin.” He corrected helpfully. “But if you want to continue confusing me with the other world's gods, I will stop protesting.” He grinned, yellowed teeth barred.

 

Emma pushed him back, more for her sanity than anything. Unfortunately it somewhat backfired as now she was touching him. She dropped her hand hastily. “No, I am not confusing you with a god and you know it.” She said flatly. “And no, I don't need your help.”

 

“Are you sure?” He smirked.

 

“Yes, I am sure. What are you, Windows?”

 

Rumpelstiltskin chittered in glee. “No, dearie- I always preferred systems that were evil because I made them so, not before I even touched them.”

 

Emma beamed at him for getting the joke. She turned away before she could grab him and either kiss him or weep openly on his shoulder. Neither would be helpful at the moment. “Right, well. I can handle this.” She strode off to the side, looking for another vantage spot.

 

“I could... turn you invisible.” Rumpelstiltskin offered, sliding up beside her.

 

“Yeah, forever.” Emma muttered.

 

Rumpelstiltskin cackled. “Naturally. How about... invincibility?”

 

“And be made of rock.” Emma turned to look at him. “How about so able to dodge any attack by being made out of rubber or able to turn into a flaming comet capable of flight?”

 

“How inventive, dear- I like it!” Rumpelstiltskin said approvingly.

 

“It's the cast from the Fantastic Four.” She sighed.

 

“Oho! Very good.” He smirked.

 

Emma's mouth quirked as well. She felt something inside her relaxing. She didn't have to watch her words with him. It was... nice. She looked at him sideways. “What are my chances of you giving me an Uzi?” She asked.

 

“Hmm.” Rumpelstiltskin put a contemplative finger to his chin, tapping it in exaggerated thoughtfulness. “I don't think you could pay what I would want for that.”

 

“What, like every child I ever have in my life, indentured servitude, and... uh...” Emma couldn't think of anything else. Besides 'sexual favors' but damned if she was going to say that out loud. She had already offered to Gold. She wasn't going to make that mistake again.

 

“That's a start, love.” Rumpelstiltskin nodded. “But I would probably just need... your life.”

 

“That's counterproductive.” Emma noted.

 

He shrugged, but looked pleased for some reason.

 

“Well, then, you better go so I can get on with it.” She said, trying to move around him.

 

“You need me.”

 

“No, I really don't.” Emma countered.

 

“Fine.” He disappeared with a huff.

 

Emma put him out of her mind as she inched closer. Soon she was within shooting distance of the largest dragon, hidden in the rocks and down-wind. She observed the dragon as it turned towards the other. It was rather pretty in the sunlight... in an ugly sort of way. All spines and scales- but the tone of them was very much like the rock- dark with hints of green, bits of sparkling, and lighter more like the sky on its underside.

 

Emma had a sudden thought... she spun out a strand of herself and sent it towards the dragon. It was difficult to send it so far, but less so than trying to maintain a slew of them in the caravan. Her probe touched the outer layers of the dragon's aura and it abruptly stiffened, swinging its head around and peering at the rocks. Emma stayed still, letting the probe just rest there.

 

The dragon turned to where the probe was touching its shoulder and nibbled at its scale there, looking puzzled. It turned back to the other dragons. Touching it, Emma could see that it, too, had strands coming off of it. They were small, sharp, and relatively weak, but there.

  
Emma ran her probe over them until she found one with a somewhat familiar composition to it.

 

“... feel something! Not making up!” The largest dragon threw back its head and belched fire again. There was a pause. “Silence!” It snapped in the direction of the next largest dragon. “Consort to be quiet!”

 

Emma realized that her jaw was dropped open. That... worked better than she had expected. She stood up slowly, holding her shield at the ready in case he opened fire, the escape item she had taken from Belle held loosely in with her pinky nest to the shield bracer.

 

The dragon hadn't noticed her yet. Emma could feel herself suddenly sweating.

 

“Hello! I come in peace, dragon!” She called.

 

The dragon whipped its head around, looking at her in what could only be described as shock. Though it didn't have facial expressions, the taut curve of the neck and the braced front feet said it all.

 

Three sets of hisses greeted her ears as the other dragons began to move.

 

“Stop! Crunchy-Squishy speaks!”

 

Emma winced at the name. She hurriedly flung out tendrils to the other dragons, who were close enough now that it was just barely within her strength. “Hello, mighty dragons.”

 

They all started to preen.

 

“Yes, what want with us, Snack?” The second largest one asked.

 

“Ah... the other humans around here have been having difficulties with what you are eating.” Emma said.

 

“Mmm. Their kept-meat. Greedy and want all for themselves?” The largest asked.

 

“Yes.” Emma said.

 

“Not want us to eat Snack Crunchy-Squishy?” The second smallest asked.

 

“Exactly.” Emma replied. This seemed like it was going a bit too easy. There probably was about to be a terrible twist.

 

“Hah! Why we care? Cannot stop us, Crunchy-Squishy.” The largest said.

 

“We can come to an agreement, surely?” Emma asked.

 

“No!” The second smallest raced forward, flaming. Emma dropped down behind the rock and ducked behind her shield. She could feel the intense heat through the metal in the bindings and cursed. But it was over rather quickly- she had missed the brunt of it. She peeked out of her shelter, having lost the threads touching the dragons. All were now in the air. Emma cursed and dove under another overhang when one dive bombed her again. She quickly retreated to a gash in the hill she had noted earlier. The stone acted to divert the flames away from her, but it was just a bit too small for them to fly at her.

 

One of the dragons landed and went after her into the cleft in the hill. It lumbered less gracefully on its front knuckles, but the head was no less dangerous, swinging on that supple neck.

 

Emma used the Force to push a rock over on the other side of the small canyon. When the dragon was distracted, she leapt for its head, latching on with her feet planted on its shoulders and arms locked around its neck, her sword at its throat.

 

It started to thrash and managed to slice itself, screaming and blowing fire. Emma smashed her aura into its and ripped into a soft spot she found. The dragon abruptly froze, eyes glazing over. Emma panted. The dragon panted. Emma loosened her grip slightly and the dragon buckled forward.

 

“Shit!” She yelled, barely managing to roll out of the way of the thrashing dragon. She lay on her back, panting. But the dragon didn't come after her. She looked over at it and it moved its head. “Oh, hell yeah!” Emma crowed. She stood and the dragon did as well. At the entrance to the cleft, another dragon was poking its head in to see what was going on. Emma _ordered_ the one she had with her mind to _attack._

  
With a scream and belching fire the first dragon tackled the second, which was bowled over, meeping in distress. Her dragon chomped onto the other one's neck and bit. Hard. Blood spurted everywhere and sizzled against the rocks. Emma darted to the relative safety of an outcropping.

 

The other two landed, one up above Emma- she could only see the tips of its claws and she held her breath. The other was much closer to the two locked in battle. It sniffed the air, looking confused. Emma snuck her tendrils out again, connecting with more ease this time to their reptilian minds.

  
“Consort- why violence! Stop attack!”

 

Emma rubbed her face and neck uncertainly, before ordering hers to stop. It was a bit worse for the wear, bitten and scratched from the other. But the other was bleeting in distress and ran to hide behind the large dragon landed beside it.

 

“Consort- explain!” Emma could tell that was the largest on- the one directly above her on the cliff.

 

She pressed into the dragon again, and it started to sway.

 

“Control... human has.” Her dragon hissed.

 

The two she could see reared up in distress. “Sorcerer!”

 

“Does smell of Dark One.” Offered the larger dragon comforting the injured one.

 

“Dark One kills...” The larger one Emma couldn't see shifted uncomfortably.

 

“Leave?” The uninjured one in front of her suggested.

 

“Leave!?! Ours!” The largest protested.

 

Emma decided to add her five cents. “Dark One wants... to help.”

 

“Kill Crunchy-Sorcerer and no Dark One.” The largest bugled. Emma saw a flash of fire above her head.

 

“Dark One... revenge.”

 

The two Emma could see that were not under control looked uneasy.

 

“Not worth lives.” The larger one noted.

 

“Hurts!” The littler one replied.

 

“Dark One gone.” The largest huffed. “Consort is lying!”

 

“Dark One curse broken.” Emma said through the captured dragon.

 

The two she could see were shaking their heads, clearly terrified. The little one took off, winging its way out of the gulley. The largest roared and took off after it. The little one shrieked and flapped furiously, but injured it could not get away. The larger one flamed it and it screamed, falling from the air and crashing heavily into the rocks.

 

The middle sized one bugled in terror and took off in the opposite direction. It was able to escape- between the larger dragon's rage and distraction and its unwounded state, it was able to break free. The largest went into a holding pattern in the air.

 

 _Fly_. Emma urged her dragon. It lurched into the air. The largest dove on it, mouth open and flames spewing from its mouth. At the last second, Emma told it to dodge out of the way. The larger dragon shot past, the flames searing her dragon- but not in the wings. Hers was eerily silent. She told hers to clasp its wings to its body and it dropped like a rock right onto the back of the largest, sending them both crashing to the ground.

 

Dazed, bloodied, the largest was no match for Emma. She lopped off its head. Looking at the broken wings, it was probably a mercy.

 

Her dragon looked at her with glazed eyes. The burn to its side was bubbling and starting to peel around the deep lacerations from its first battle. She lopped the head off that one as well.

 

Emma shuddered a sigh and wiped the sword off on the leathery wing, then her tunic, and finally sheathed it.

 

She stumbled her way back to the lean-to, ignoring her horse huffing at her in mild alarm. She stripped out of most of her armor. She smelled like acid blood, sweat and soot. But she had a grin on her face- three dragons dead- good deal. She did wish that talking with them had worked, but the back-up plan had pulled off mostly without a hitch. Well, except that she mind-controlled one instead of picking them off one by one as they entered the little side-gully. Details.

 

Emma felt woozy, though. And maybe faintly nauseous. She blinked but her vision couldn't quite focus right. She started to topple but something stopped her. “Emma, Emma, you are a brave idiot...” She said to herself. Except... that didn't sound like her at all. Rather too male and accented. But her brain was much too tired to even begin to process that. She passed out.

 

OoOoOOooo

 

Emma woke up to the sounds of an avalanche.

 

Well, actually, it was just a group of horses charging in. But she had a splitting headache and it amplified the sound mightily. She groaned and grabbed her head. She almost knocked over a small porcelain cup beside her knee. It had a note on it saying 'cure'. Emma frowned, but she could only see cheerful, helpful colors on the tea inside.

 

“What is the meaning of this? Giving up already? It's only been three days!” Midas barked.

 

Emma groaned and grabbed the cup, downing it in one gulp. Nothing happened except that now her mouth tasted like bark. She frowned in annoyance.

 

“I asked you a question, or do you need me to repeat it?” Midas asked nastily.

 

Emma sat up, trying to push her headache back into her head with the heels of her hands. “I killed the damn dragons, please be quiet.”

 

“Nonsense.” He nodded to his men, who rode off. Presumably to check.

 

“Believe what you will.” She sighed with relief as the pain started to seep away. The potion/tea/stuff must have taken a second to kick in.

 

They say in silence, which Emma was perfectly content with, until the soldiers galloped back into the clearing.

 

“Sir! She speaks true! Three dragons, dead!”

 

Midas looked at her in shock. “You... killed them all?”

 

Emma smiled wryly. “Less shock and more 'thank you, knight' would be nice.”

 

Midas' face lit up. “This calls for a feast!”

  
The men whooped and one cantered off in the direction the group had arrived in. A bunch went back toward the dragons.

 

“In your saddle, knight! We need to get you presentable.” Midas said, now rather jovial it seemed.

 


	12. Dancing Lessons (Marilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing & Charm School)

 Emma had never liked parties, and certainly never enjoyed dressing up. Much less in a ball gown and a corset that was making it difficult for her to breathe. She would have sighed but you couldn't really with the constriction.

 

At least dancing was something to keep her mind off of how utterly bored she was. Since she didn't really know the dances, she was relying entirely on her martial arts skills to read what her opponent... er... partner was going to do and moving with him. She had no idea why people would subject themselves to this.

 

She allowed that the men at least were eye-candy; all dressed up like the BBC Pride and Prejudice and looking mostly suave, though a couple couldn't really pull off the high waisted pants, in most it showed off there assets. Or, at least, their codpieces.

 

Emma wished that the sight was more than a brief mental note for her. Here the men seemed like they might actually help her scratch her itch, but... it was difficult to maintain her concentration enough to talk to them and understand. She had given up on it after a while as it was giving her a headache. Instead she let the foreign languages wash over her. She figured she wasn't missing much. The ones that might have been interested were crude, the ones who were probably gay bemoaned her never wearing such nice things and the rest kept praising her grace, skills, or something even more inane.

 

“My dear, you are supposed to at least _look_ like you are enjoying a party in your honor.”

 

Emma's heart jumped as she realized who her partner was. She leaned back- when had she gotten so close? She hadn't been practically draped on her other partners, had she?

 

Rumpelstiltskin grinned at her, looking totally mischievous.

 

“Won't people see you?” Emma asked curiously. Normally she couldn't give a flying rats ass, but in this case, there was one extra dragon that Midas could insist that she slay if he got mad enough seeing the imp at his party.

 

“It's always amazed me how little attention is paid at these parties. I have been to a large number and never been seen unless I show myself.” He shrugged and twirled her around.

 

Emma laughed delightedly.

 

Rumpelstiltskin's eyes sparkled. Semi-literally. He pulled her close and whispered in her ear, making her shiver. “I think I am going to tell Henry he needs to take you to his dance lessons.”

 

“I'm doing fine on my own.” Emma huffed back, trying to ignore how the scant inch now separating them felt like it was full of electricity and delicious warmth. She wanted to back up or move closer... she wasn't entirely sure which.

 

“Hmm.” Rumpelstiltskin rumbled. “Only because you are paying such rapt attention.” He looked at her sidelong. “What would happen if you had had a cup of wine? Or were tired?”

 

Emma smirked at him. “Oh, probably something like this...” She said demurely, purposefully stepping slightly wrong so that her entire body pressed flush against his. Rumpelstiltskin sucked in a breath through his nose and teeth at the contact and looked down at her with eyes gone dark, with a burning ring of gold around them. She was so intensely aware of him it was like another sense. _Definitely the correct direction to move._ Emma thought rather dazedly.

 

Rumpelstiltskin's footsteps faltered briefly, but he continued the dance, reinserting them into the rhythm smoothly.

 

Emma looked at his eyes with utter fascination. “Oops.” She said breathlessly.

 

Rumpelstiltskin swallowed slowly, staring at her.

 

The dance came to an end and they slowed to a stop, but neither made to move until the next song started up- a lively tune that Emma was fairly sure led to swapping partners. She grimaced and pulled Rumpelstiltskin to the side. “I'm done with this party. You want to get out of here?” What she wouldn't give for a club. And, God... she actually missed techno.

 

“Whatever you wish, m'lady.” He muttered, giving her a smirk when she glared at him. “A bit sensitive about that address?” He teased her wickedly.

 

“As would you if a horde of attractive guys had called you that and then cock-blocked themselves.” Emma growled.

 

Rumpelstiltskin's eyebrows shot up. “I quite imagine I would be pleased if men decided not to pursue me.”

 

“Really?” Emma looked up at him mischievously. “The make-up you used to wear as a human was rather... gay.”

 

Rumpelstiltskin grinned. “It was marvelous and complemented my eyes.” He flourished a hand at his face, rolling his eyes and laughing. Now that it was suddenly gone, Emma realized that his hand had been on her shoulder and creeping around the back of her neck and twining into her hair. How could she not notice?

 

Emma sighed and looked around; she saw that there were people looking at them disapprovingly. For public displays of affection or approximations thereof? Since they practically hadn't done anything, much to her chagrin. No... maybe alone Rumpelstiltskin didn't attract attention, but standing here petting the belle of the ball they were definitely gathering notice. “Gardens?” She asked.

 

Rumpelstiltskin nodded in agreement. He slowly pulled away, letting his hand trail on her hip as he swept into a bow. “As m'lady wishes.” He replied.

 

Emma wanted to either smack him or have him put that mouth to good use. Or both... She shook her head. She wasn't going to give him another shot to reject her... but he was acting like... maybe he wouldn't? But for teasing her, he definitely deserved to be hit. He looked up at her with dancing golden eyes. Dammit. Emma turned decisively on her heel and left the ballroom.

 

Emma started to run/jog in the gardens- as fast as she could without passing out from lack of air. She felt like she was running _from_ something but didn't know what that would be.

 

She dashed through some bushes and stopped against a willow tree, perched half in a bed of tulips. She tried to calm down, which proved actually rather easy as her mind was effectively diverted by the damn dress. She was having a hard time catching her breath. It suddenly hit her, again, that this was her life now. Doing crazy shit like slaying dragons was kind of cool, but then having to appease people she had no connection with, no shared cultural background, no nothing? Some fairy tale.

 

She was starting to blink a bit rapidly when Rumpelstiltskin appeared in front of her. She didn't look at him and instead started to viciously pick apart tulips. After the death of half a dozen buds, Rumpelstiltskin crouched down beside her.

 

“You're beginning to make this rather boring, my dear.” He said in a high-pitched imitation of what she had said the previous day. He watched her viciously deflower several more tulips before adding, “Something bothering you?”

 

Emma threw petals at him and sighed. “No.” She gave up the destruction. It was petty... but that wasn't why. She would much rather be boiling off energy pwning noobs in Call of Duty. It was just depressing.

 

Rumpelstiltskin's grin was wide and demanding. “I think that's a lie.”

 

“Good for you.” Emma closed her eyes and leaned back against the tree. Awkwardly- the corset pinched and made her back end up in an odd angle. “Have to use much magic to pull that deduction out of your ass?”

 

She considered and reluctantly discarded 'accidentally' falling against him again. She didn't think that he would buy that she was that clumsy. She really wanted to, though- now more for comfort than for... other reasons. She cracked one eyelid open to contemplate him before closing it again and doing the huff that was all she could do. Yeah, no. Even in the suit instead of the leather armor he usually wore, the man didn't come off as particularly comforting or cuddly.

 

“Now, now. I'm fairly sure that it wasn't old Rumpelstiltskin that made frown so and destroy objects of beauty.” He chided. “Taking it out on the innocent is not your style.”

 

“Thank goodness I am taking it out on you, then.” Emma couldn't help but feel a tug of a smile at the corner of her mouth. She looked at him, wanting to see his reaction. He didn't disappoint.

 

Rumpelstiltskin grabbed his chest dramatically, opening his mouth wide and rolling his eyes upward. “Oh, lo! I am wounded most foul!” He chittered, before falling backwards and crushing a swath of tulips.

 

Emma's smile was full, now. “Watch out- they will blame you for all the innocents. Who would believe that the princess mauled flowers with you laying like that?”

 

Rumpelstiltskin waved his hand in the air vaguely. “I've been blamed for worse things.” He said without irony.

 

Emma shook her head and sobered. “What do you want this time?” She asked.

 

He laced his fingers behind his head and feigned nonchalance. “Whatever makes you think I came for a particular reason?”  
  


She looked at him dubiously.

 

He snickered, then flipped himself from supine to crouching in one fluid move. It looked like a frantic version of an upside-down break dancing worm move.

 

“You're right, as always. I couldn't resist the chance for a dance with you.” He waved his hands airily, cocking his head to the side.

 

Emma frowned.

 

“I didn't expect to find you so despondent.” Rumpelstiltskin said.

 

“Yes, well- I'm wearing a corset.” Emma rolled her eyes. “No woman should be happy with that.”

 

Rumpelstiltskin's grin was so wide that Emma replayed what she had said. She barely got the breath drawn in to protest before he had sat up and slid a hand down her side.

 

Emma shivered and gasped. She could feel the fabric and his magic sliding all over her belly, back and breasts. When it stopped her corset had writhed into a regular underwire bra. She felt like her brain had just overloaded and she was _tingly_ all over.

 

“Emma?” Rumpelstiltskin waved a clawed hand in front of her face hesitantly.

 

Emma blinked and her brain rebooted. She was kind of glad he hadn't peered at her, but kind of disappointed. She would have absolutely jumped him if his face had been near hers. As it was, her eyes tracked his hand as he retracted it and she licked her lips.

 

“I took the liberty of changing the dress as well, otherwise you would have burst the seems.”

 

Emma glared at him. Nope- back to smacking. Between the sexual tension he seemed oblivious to and that comment...

 

Rumpelstiltskin smirked. “You know, of course, that your body is lovely with all its natural curves.”

 

Emma covered her face with her hands and rubbed furiously. She was getting exhausted from all of these damn emotions.

 

“That was a compliment.” Rumpelstiltskin pointed out helpfully, sounding very confused.

 

Suddenly, it was too much- being more comfortable in her clothes made her think of getting to bed- in a straw mattress. In a kingdom only one hundred miles away that would take days to get back to her family, and even there- what? She would fight with swords? Take dancing lessons? Try to find a husband and True Love? Why hadn't this shit happened to someone who wanted it? There had been so many children in the foster system who would have loved to have been a long-lost prince or princess. Someone more like Henry. She had never wanted this.

 

“Emma?” Rumpelstiltskin asked, sounding a bit concerned.

 

Emma felt a sob suck into her body. It hitched for a second, before coming out as a ragged sigh. She felt a ginger touch of her shoulder and she turned and latched onto his lapels, burying her face in his shoulder so he couldn't see her crying.

 

Dammit, dammit, dammit! She was so annoyed with herself for breaking down, but that only seemed to make the tears worse, which made her more angry and repeated the vicious cycle.

 

Rumpelstiltskin hesitantly ran an arm around her back, his fingertips the only thing touching her. He patted her delicately yet awkwardly with the sides of his claws.

 

“I'm sorry.” Emma muttered when she finally thought she was together enough not to begin wailing. “I'm sorry.” She repeated again, not knowing what else to say.

 

“It's quite alright.” Rumpelstiltskin replied awkwardly. “Do you... want to talk about it?”

 

“It's nothing.” Emma sighed. “No, it's everything.” She looked up and over his shoulder, too chicken to look into his face. “No TV, no running water, everyone knows everyone's business, there are fairies _everywhere_ and I think I am allergic to their damn dust... I have saddle sores, my horse hates me. No one seems to bat an eye when 'slaying evil' like people aren't people just because they are assholes. And the people who happen to not be human? Heaven forefend they get any rights whatsoever, even if they kept Snow safe and were the rest of the damn title of the fairy tale! It's not just 'Snow White is Awesome'! It's 'Snow White _and the Seven Dwarves'._ ” Emma frowned. “Just kill the dragon- they're nesting in the wrong place. Don't worry about the trolls, they're evil.” She snorted. “What is this place turning me into? A damned politically correct activist!”

 

“There are worse things...” Rumpelstiltskin tried to say.

 

“No there are not!” She snapped, causing his brow to furrow. “I want to go home!”

 

“Erm...” Rumpelstiltskin patted her shoulder gingerly, with only the tips of two fingers. After an awkward silence where Emma realized she was practically in his lap straddling them, he finally sighed and said: “There, there, dearie. It will get better.”

 

“What the hell do you know?” She grumbled.

 

“Hmm.” He lifted a finger and ghosted it against her cheek, causing her heart to stutter, breaking her a bit out of her rant. “One seems to recall I was able to remember my whole existence here, when suddenly thrust into the world of automobiles, television and... democracy.” He examined his finger. Emma looked at it as well and saw that it was wet.

 

She released him abruptly and sat back, scrubbing at her face.

 

“It's called culture shock, dearie.” Rumpelstiltskin said absently. He whipped out a bottle from... somewhere and carefully transferred the drop into it. The liquid began to glow slightly. “Most excellent.” He breathed.

 

“What are you doing with my tear?”Emma growled dangerously. Here she had been having a nervous breakdown, and he takes a souvenir? What was that the essence of? Humiliation?

 

“A keepsake, nothing more.” Rumpelstiltskin rolled to his feet, rocking back and forth. He touched his shoulder, fingers dancing over the wet spot, looking at her with an extremely odd expression on his face that Emma was in no respect ready to interpret at the moment.

 

“Keepsake my ass. Give that back!” Emma stood up as well, crossing her arms over her chest.

 

“Oh, so much anger.” Rumpelstiltskin purred, looking a bit relieved that she was angry and no longer crying. “Don't you trust me?”

 

Emma was taken aback by the question. Did she? Not really... maybe? By his nature he was untrustable, but at the same time, completely trustworthy... if you knew the correct motives and played by the rules. Which was probably impossible, so...

 

The Cheshire grin wavered uncertainly. “You... do...?”

 

“No, of course not.” Emma said hesitantly. “Why would I?”

 

He looked at her askance and tucked the vial away. “Hmm. Well, for the tear, what would you have?”

 

“I don't know.” Emma sighed, slumping back.

 

“How about the dress?” He asked, trying to look reasonable and not pulling it off.

 

“Nice try, but no. I didn't ask you to do that.” Emma snorted. She was feeling better and almost able to smile. The banter was... nice. Familiar. If he had tried to comfort her beyond acknowledging her, then she probably would have been embarrassed. She hated her own emotions, they made her weak. But stealing her magically charged body fluid? It almost made her smile. Of course he would.

 

Rumpelstiltskin edged closer and Emma ignored her rapidly reviving libido. “Well, my dear... I can't take you to the home you mean, but perhaps Snow White's castle?”

 

Emma looked at him, pretty sure her face was desperately hopeful. “Really?”

 

“Hmm. A simple teleportation, is all.” He waved his hand airily.

 

Emma chewed on her lip. What did he want her tear for, anyway? But... run away home? Veeery tempting. She looked up at him contemplatively. “Alright.”

 

“We have a deal?” Rumpelstiltskin squeed.

 

Emma rocked back a bit at that... it was scary enough in preteen aged girls. “Can I change to having you never make that noise again?” She asked.

 

“Too late!” Rumpelstiltskin said, before he pounced on her.

  
“The f-” Emma didn't get to finish the thought because she was suddenly utterly disoriented. She was hearing colors, smelling emotions, feeling images and had no idea which way was up.

 

As suddenly as it started it ended. Emma listed left and a bit backwards, but was held steady until she figured out where her legs were. Where her body was. That she existed at all.

 

“Well, well, Emma.” Rumpelstiltskin purred in her ear. “Most people vomit their first time.”

 

“I think you are doing it wrong if that's the case.” Emma muttered back.

 

Rumpelstiltskin barked in laughter and let her go. Emma blinked some, trying to focus and having moderate success. “Ta, Emma.” He winked out of sight. Emma now had a much stronger appreciation for that means of transportation.

 

“Emma! You're back!” A startled Snow White said as she rounded the corner. “Why are you in a ball gown?”

 

OoOOoOoOo

 

“Emma, I knew you could do it!” Henry grinned at his mother. “So, what did Rumpelstiltskin do for you?”

 

“Nothing.” Emma replied, trying to follow the teacher as she showed Emma the correct movement. It was a lot harder without a guy leading her- she knew how to do the Macarana and that was about all the dancing she had ever done.

 

“What do you mean, nothing?” Henry ran in front of her and put his hands on his hips.

 

Emma frowned. “Like I said, nothing.” She shrugged. “I didn't need his help.” Because she had gotten really, really lucky. But she wasn't going to tell her son that.

 

“But he said he was going to help you!” Henry wailed.

  
Emma gave up the dance lesson as a bad job. She turned her full, angry attention on her son. “ _When_ did he tell you that?”

 

“Oh... you never said I couldn't talk to him, too. You talk to him all the time!” Henry protested.

 

Emma gaped at him. “I do not talk to him all the time!”

 

“Yeah you do- I can tell.” Henry said smugly.

 

The dance teacher snuck out the side of the practice room, closing it with a small 'snick' sound.

 

“There is no way that you can tell that.” Emma said with confidence.

 

“Sure! After you've been chatting with him, it is much easier to tell where you are. It's like your magic is actually moving outside of you for a while. I thought it was just you practicing...”

 

“I don't... what are you talking about?” Emma asked, rubbing her hand down the opposite arm. Her aura was acting up? What the hell did that mean?

 

“And anyway, I ask him.” Henry finished matter-of-factly.

 

“You ask him.” Emma said flatly. “And he tells you?”

 

“Yup!”

 

“You have better not made a deal with him, young man, or I don't know what I will do with you. But it's not going to be pretty. And what will be even less pretty is what I will do to him.” Emma planted her hands on her hips.

 

“No, nothing like that. We just talk. Honest, Emma! I tell him about my life, and he tells me about his.”

 

“He tells you about his life?” Emma asked in shock.

  
“Well, not really.” Henry admitted. “He tells me some of the stories of deals he's made, but not mcuh about right now. You know.”

 

Emma sighed. “Don't make a deal with him.” She said finally. But she couldn't say 'don't talk to him' because that would be ridiculously hypocritical. Even saying 'don't make deals' was hypocritical, seeing as she had made one to get back to the castle.

 

“I know, Emma. I'm not a kid anymore!” Henry scoffed. “And if I did, I'd read the whole thing.”

 

“No, you won't, because you won't be making any deals.” Emma growled.

  
“E-mma!” Henry whined.

 

“No deals!”

 

“Fine.” Henry huffed. “I have more of a running tab, anyway.”

 

“Henry!” Emma gasped in shock.

 

“He owes me more than I owe him!” Henry protested. “And anyway, you can't talk to him without it getting all debt-y. And I'm not going to stop talking to him. He's fun!”

 

Emma had to grant him basically all of his points. “At least promise me you'll ask me if I can get you whatever it is before you ask him? He can make the weirdest things matter more than you would ever imagine.”

 

“I _did_ read the book, Emma.” Henry said disdainfully.

 

“Right.” Emma rolled her eyes.  


	13. Curses

 Emma heard a familiar giggle, turned over and covered her head with the blanket. “'M not deal'n w'dis. G'tuh sleep.”

 

Weight fell beside her, but she was still half asleep and it somehow morphed into a farmer giving her a bag of wool. “Dun nee wl.” Emma muttered, before she was again lost to the waking world.

 

Some hours later, Emma stretched and yawned, blinking blearily at the sunshine starting to come through the window. As she arched backward her body slid along something warm and heavy. She curled up against it, sighing happily, feeling the lungs expand and the reassuring thump of a heartbeat next to her own.

 

“What the?” Emma sat bolt upright and looked to her right. She blinked. There, sleeping peacefully, was Rumpelstiltskin. “Ok...” She blinked in confusion. Then glared. She had slept with him, apparently, but now all she could think about was how pissed she was. What was with him coming in the middle of the god-forsaken night?

 

She poked his cheek. Nothing. Well, no reaction, anyway. His cheek was an odd combination of cool, dry and soft. Though... yes, along his cheekbone was warmer, and over his eyes was unbelievably velvety. Emma snatched her hand back as she realized she had been tracing the line of this lips. But still no response.

 

“Rumpelstiltskin?” She called him softly. Then more loudly. She shook him vigorously. She was beginning to get quite worried. She tried to squash the terror trying to catch hold in her chest, but there was only so much she could explain away logically.

 

Nothing. “What the? Is he under a spell?” The thought came to her that she could try to kiss him- that broke spells, didn't it? But that would bring up the question of if she liked him at all... if she loved him. What if ti worked- or didn't. Was it fair to steal a kiss when he was unconscious either way?

 

In frustration she grabbed both shoulders and screamed in his face: “Wake up, you damn imp!”

 

Rumpelstiltskin stiffened with a gasp and shot upright, almost colliding with Emma who barely managed to get out of the way in time. He flailed so badly seeing her that he fell off the bed and smacked onto the floor.

 

Emma peered over the edge, eyes wide.

 

Panicked yellow eyes met hers before he blinked out of existence.

 

Emma stared at the floor for several minutes. Slowly she became aware that she was straddling two warm spots. And Rumpelstiltskin's was fading. She curled up into his and sighed. What the hell had that been? “Great, just great.” Emma sighed aloud. What was she supposed to make of that interaction? The man gave more mixed signals than a porn director with Tourette's.

 

OooOOOooO

 

Rumpelstiltskin paced in the Dark Castle. He was manic, unable to sit still. He tried, but lept back up from the chair as if it burned him. He spun the wheel, free of straw almost so fast as to break it. He turned on his heal and disappeared.

 

OoOOoO

 

Henry's tongue stuck out of the side of his mouth as he carefully copied the manuscript in front of him. He was working on a huge, intricate 'E' for his mother. He had already practiced making an 'H' for himself, which had turned out pretty cool. This one had a big swan on it, knocking sense into a dragon, with some 'E' animals, too... he'd considered elephants, but there had already been a bunch of large critters in it. So he had put in an eel, an eagle and a few earwigs (that part definitely made him chuckle).

 

He looked up when Rumpelstiltskin appeared, frowning. “You said that you would help Emma!” Henry accused.

 

The imp fidgeted almost... nervously, his hands fluttering as he picked up random books and set them down again. “I can only do as my lady wishes.” He said snippily.

 

“You promised, and a promise is a deal.” Henry put his quill down neatly, making sure he didn't mess up his work. “So you are in trouble.”

 

Rumpelstiltskin barred his teeth at the boy. “And how does your mother feel about you making deals with the devil, hmm?”

 

Henry smiled mischievously. “She specifically forebade me. This morning. I believe we made the deal before that.”

 

Rumpelstiltskin smirked in reply. “So.” He managed to still long enough to stop in front of Henry and lean over the table. “What forfeit do you wish of me?” He asked in a patronizing tone.

 

“Oh, not for me. You promised me, but the deal was to help my mom.” Henry said smugly. He felt even more sure of himself when he saw the uncertain look on Rumpelstiltskin's face and how he danced away, tittering.

 

“Your mother refuses my help at every turn.” He pointed out moodily. He wouldn't meet Henry's eyes and the boy had a suspicion it was maybe a bit more than that. Which was, like, duh. He had given her the dagger. That was just... weird. He usually kept it hidden, after that thing with his son.

 

“You're trying to help her do things she knows she can do herself.” Henry pointed out.

 

Rumpelstiltskin looked at him briefly, disdainfully.

 

“You have to do something for her that she doesn't even know she wants. And that she might be able to do for herself, but she would never want to.” Henry said confidently.

 

“Like what?” Rumpelstiltskin asked wryly. “Your mother is an _accom-py-lished_ being.” He sang harshly.

 

“Yeah.” Henry mused. “That's true. But I know she hates the food here.”

 

Rumpelstiltskin looked at Henry, blinking. “Food?”

 

“Yeah. You know, like pheasants and boar and stuff. All the fun things.” Henry shrugged. “I guess she lived for too long on unhealthy junk.”

 

Rumpelstiltskin's grin slid across his face. “I have exactly the thing.” He giggled.

 

“Great!” Henry beamed. “You want to show me another magic spell?” He asked hopefully.

 

“I think not, my Prince.” Rumpelstiltskin grinned. “You have worked enough deals this day. And I do not need Emma any more mad at me when she finds out about us talking than she already will be.”

 

“But she knows already!” Henry whined. Rumpelstiltskin looked at him in shock and Henry pressed the advantage. “That's when she forbid me to make a deal with you. But she didn't say anything about magic! So she can't get mad about it.”

 

“She most certainly can get mad about it.” Rumpelstiltskin said wryly.

 

“Well... um... you could say that... I'm your child! Yeah! And you need to teach me these things if... um... so I don't turn green.”

 

Rumpelstiltskin laughed. “Very inventive, little prince.” He leaned forward over the table. “But that would mean that I got your mother pregnant and then abandoned her, and then didn't mention the relation this entire time that I have known her. What do you think her reaction would be to that?”

 

Henry rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. “Oh, yeah.”

 

“Hmm.” Rumpelstiltskin leaned back, his eyes dancing.

 

“I just thought it would be cool to be your kid.” Henry muttered, looking down. When there was no answer, he looked back up, but the imp was gone. Henry sighed and picked up his brush. But he didn't really feel like continuing. Magic was so much cooler! And Rumpelstiltskin had showed him how to set the tip of his finger on fire! On pain of all sorts of nastiness if he ever let anyone know, but still. Henry stuck his tongue out in annoyance.

 

OOoOOooo

 

The delegation from Midas had finally arrived- they had sent frantic messages by pigeon when Emma had disappeared, then promised to deliver the spoils after the situation was explained. The delegation brought with it the largest dragon's head (gold preserved, of course) as well as the King, Abagail and some other dignitaries and assorted entourage. The other heads had been kept in the other kingdom, but the nicest was brought for Emma to display. To prove her nobility, or something.

 

But despite her parents' admonitions to 'be good' and 'play nice' with the delegation, she escaped at first opportunity. She really didn't like that ass, Midas. King or not, the man had a smug air of someone confident in his ability to instantly stop anyone and to provide for his kingdom. Emma was definitely waiting for the inevitable depreciation of gold, the discovery of a cure for things he turned to gold, or something else to wipe that smug, obnoxious grin off his face. She had chatted with the princess, but the language barrier still gave her a headache to concentrate on.

 

Emma stole a bunch of ratty looking clothing from the scrap pile, wrapped her hair up in a cloth and made her way out of the castle. Fortunately most people were unable to recognize her without the finery. Only those she had directly questioned were likely to remember her and even they might have trouble. But even then, she knew how to act with body posture, demeanor etc. in order to appear as a completely separate person. She had had to do that enough as part of running bounties, after all.

 

Emma almost screamed when she felt something shift under her hand. She snatched it back and looked down- but it was just a piece of paper... which had suddenly materialized. She looked at it suspiciously before shrugging and picking it up. It was a map. With directions. Hmm. She set off to follow them, trying not to get lost. Despite how annoying they were, she missed GPS directions a bit. Even as she thought that, a small whisper in the back of her mind started to tell her 'turn right' and the map began to shift beneath her fingers to orient to how she was facing.

 

Emma gulped, but continued onward.

 

The map led her to a small restaurant of a style that had a few stools in front, and then three secluded little nooks to eat in the back, with the kitchen in between. A heavenly smell hit her nose and it took her a second to realize what, exactly, it smelled like. “New York hot dogs...” She moaned happily.

 

“Well, dear, if I'd known you would get that excited, I would plied you with cheap meat concoctions instead of trying to call you off from a dragon hunt.” Rumpelstiltskin said from behind her.

 

“For this, I would have listened to you.” Emma sighed happily, eyes closed to savor the scent. “At least until I'd had a hotdog.”

 

The chuckle behind her was low and sent a shiver up her spine and heat pooling in her belly. She turned slowly, as that hadn't really sounded like Rumpelstiltskin. And indeed, it wasn't exactly he that she faced. It was some odd combination- his eyes were still almost gold, though not shining like they could be... his skin was more like Gold's than Rumpelstiltskin, but had a bit of sparkle that wasn't entirely natural. And his hair was somewhere in between, too.

 

Emma realized she must have been giving him a very odd look when he chuckled.

 

“Well, shall we enter?” He strode past her.

 

“So... you learned the trick to it, then? That Sozo knew?” Emma asked, watching keenly when his steps faltered at the name of the former Dark One.

 

“One doesn't spend the savior's lifetime as a human without taking away a few pointers.” Rumpelstiltskin smirked over his shoulder, his teeth still quite crooked and discolored.

 

“Right.”

 

Rumpelstiltskin led them to one of the private booths, which was a circular bench covered in cushions with small tables almost more as armrests, and a curtain that pulled over the front.

 

“This seems a bit... cozy... for a hot dog joint.” Emma said suspiciously.

 

“Oh, it's a house of ill repute.” Rumpelstiltskin said casually.

 

“What!?” Emma hissed.

  
“Well, I convinced them to make the 'hot dogs' by telling them that they were an aphrodisiac.” He smirked.

 

Emma rubbed her head. “I would complain, but I have been craving a hot dog for... well, probably since coming to Storybrooke- I ate too many grilled cheeses, as good as they were...”

 

His voice warmed her when he said, “I thought as much.”

 

“I don't even want to know how you knew that I liked them so much. Despite the fact that you shouldn't have been able to leave Storybrooke.” Emma smirked. Really, she would have been _more_ surprised if he hadn't found a way to spy on the hero of the tale.

 

Rumpelstiltskin gave her an odd look but didn't immediately comment on her comment.

 

Emma patted the velvet (or fake velvet, or whatever it was) then settled back into the comfy cushions. “Do they have mustard?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Emma grinned. No matter what her mother said about it not being proper, she was coming back here. Every week. Scratch that- she wasn't telling anyone until she got caught. Which she would try her damnedest to make sure never happened.

 

“You are unconcerned that I was spying on you?” Rumpelstiltskin finally asked- it seemed his curiosity got the better of him.

 

“Not unconcerned. But what would it gain me from worrying about it? You felt me kicking when I was in the womb.” Emma slid her gaze over to him and lifted an eyebrow to see if he would dispute that truth. His expression remained unreadable and she shrugged. “You probably even saw my mother born...” A little creepy, but... well, he was freaking old. “Do they know what we want to order?” She changed the subject.

 

Rumpelstiltskin frowned contemplatively. “Yes, I informed them. It should be along shortly.” He kept staring at Emma like she was some new form of insect and he was a premier entomologist.

 

“What?” Emma snapped. She got distracted, though, when a gorgeous woman came in laden with hot dogs (in buns! With mustard! And _relish!!!)_ She snatched one up even before the waitress had put the tray down and bit into it. She moaned in pure ecstasy.

 

“See, my dear.” Rumpelstiltskin said to the waitress, “Aphrodisiac.”

 

“Well, good luck to you, hon.” The waitress replied. Just before she slide the curtain shut, Emma could hear a faint: “Because she is well above your station.”

 

But Emma didn't care. Such deliciously tasty totally unhealthy processed tasting food!

 

“You do know what goes into those, right?” Rumpelstiltskin asked wryly.

 

“Oh, yes. And it does not ruin it at all.” Emma smiled. She licked her fingers off and sighed happily.

 

Rumpelstiltskin's eyebrow twitched upward. “And you are lucky, as this display would have many a man slavering after your assets.”

 

“Hah! I wish.” Emma took a slow bite of the next hot dog, licking her lips afterward. She slid a glance over to Rumpelstiltskin, letting her eyes smolder, and watching him squirm with a smirk. She paused in her eating, looking at him curiously. “So... what do I owe you then?”

 

“Nothing.” He shrugged. “I enjoy my hot dogs as well... I thought you might like one as well.”

 

“Bullshit.” Emma said bluntly. “Answer me properly.”

 

Rumpelstiltskin's face twisted unpleasantly. “Your son suggested it, and I did think you might enjoy it. It was no large effort on my part- it didn't even require magic.”

 

“Why did you bother?” She asked in confusion, resolving to thank and then scold Henry later.

 

He shifted unhappily. “I wanted an excuse to eat a meal with you.”

 

Emma blinked. “You don't need an excuse, just come ask me.”

 

He looked affronted. “People would see us together. Some of them would recognize me as Gold.”

 

“Yeah, so? I already paid the price for setting you free. No one would be even the slightest bit shocked and there's nothing they can do about it.” Emma dismissed. And frankly, she would enjoy seeing him more when she wasn't half asleep. Talking to someone who didn't ask her to define things every few sentences was... really nice. Even the frustration of holding herself back from jumping him couldn't ruin that pleasure.

 

Rumpelstiltskin looked absolutely poleaxed at the suggestion.

 

“What? You don't have to be so sneaky all the time. Though I did like the paper thing.” Emma smiled, then took another bite.

 

“Thank you.” He muttered softly.

 

“So... why did you want to eat with me? I'm not picking up the tab every time, if you're broke.”

 

“I...” Rumpelstiltskin looked like he was fighting himself.

 

“Yeah, spit it out.” Emma prompted.

 

“I am very lonely.” He admitted. Looking so shamed he may as well have said that he 'prefered young boys' .

 

“Oh.” Emma blinked. “Um... lonely?”

 

He glared at her. “Yes, lonely.”

 

Emma felt the curiosity well up. “But... you've lived a long time by yourself, how could you be lonely?”

 

“That is exactly how, you foolish girl!” He snapped. “I was fine, just fine, then Belle... came.” He trailed off, but then continued like it was being pulled out of him. “And that was... nice. I... I rather knew we weren't... at least, I thought we were friends.” He snarled incoherently, but continued. “And then, in Storybrooke, I could walk up to anyone, inquire about their day. They hated me, but they would be civil. I could taunt Her Majesty, your child was always a pleasure.” His face furrowed into a mighty frown. “And then here, the dungeon I would get visitors. Now, nothing. No one comes to talk to me.”

 

“That's why you come to me at night?” Emma asked incredulously.

 

“I come to you at night when the silence of my house presses on me and I can no longer stand it.” He snapped.

 

Emma blinked at him, eyes wide.

 

“Are you satisfied?”

 

“Um... yes?” Emma stared at him in confusion. “Why are you telling me this?”

 

“Because you told me to 'answer you properly'!” He spat, his eyes starting to glow in agitation.

 

Emma sucked in a breath, awareness snapping into place in her head- the other night- sleeping when she said, until she told him to wake- now, following her commands. “You... you... really gave me the real dagger!? Are you out of your mind?” She squeaked.

 

“No! I needed you... I needed someone to hold it, because my bid for power failed and I was going to have to kill for power soon if I didn't leach off of a master.” The words dragged through his crooked teeth.

 

Emma just stared at him, jaw dropped open.

 

“Is that all you are going to force me to reveal, or might I keep a little dignity?” He sneered.

 

“Uh...” Emma gulped. “Um, yeah, you... er... don't need to answer my questions if you don't want to.”

 

“Command, dearie.” His eyes burned into hers and Emma almost forgot what that statement was in reference to. She squashed the little (ok, kind of loud) voice in her head telling her exactly what 'commands' it wanted to give.

 

Emma cleared her throat. “Only speak if you wish to.” This time she could feel the slight swirl of magic, and she wrapped a small bit of herself into it, feeling it out.

 

“Thank you for your overwhelming generosity, Master.” Rumpelstiltskin spat sarcastically.

 

“If you are going to be like that, I could just order you again.” Emma pointed out. “You gave me the knife, I didn't take it.” She cut him off when she saw him take in a breath to argue. “I won't abuse it... or, um, you, I swear- even though Belle would make more sense, really... I guess she isn't as much of a badass as I am.” Emma smirked, fake flexing her muscles. “I can take on any asshole who thinks he wants to control the Dark One.”

 

Rumpelstiltskin's mouth quirked and he relaxed fractionally.

 

Emma grinned in response, even though her stomach felt like it was going to drop out from under her. She had command of this... being? Complex, powerful, unpredictable... she still didn't quite fully believe him. “So... that was why you were intent on the babies?”

 

“I don't need to answer that.” Rumpelstiltskin growled.

 

“I know.” Emma leaned back and picked up a new hot dog- the old one had fallen on the floor when she had been shocked. She took another bite and sighed happily. “I am going to regret this in a few hours, but right now, it is so good...” She smiled at him. “Thank you.”

 

He blinked. “You're welcome.” He looked if anything more uncomfortable with being thanked than made to tell his deep, dark secrets.

 

The hot dog was a little cool, and she wondered if she could ask him to warm it for her? All magic at a price and all, but heating up a bit of meat? Or maybe she could do it herself? At the thought, she felt the bit of her wrapped around the connection between them slip sideways and almost disappear. Emma blinked in confusion.

 

“What is it?” Rumpelstiltskin asked, tilting his head at her.

 

“I don't know...” She felt around (with her mind, which was kind of odd)- it was cold, but smooth- like two panes of glass that had melted next to each other- interlocking intricately, touching and interweaving. Why couldn't she see it? She spread out her awareness to fill the gaps, trying to get the full shape of it. She broke out of her trance when Rumpelstiltskin cried out in sudden pain.

 

Emma looked up and what she saw... was shocking. He looked fully like Gold, now. No... less than Gold, somehow. His eyes were dark, but not in a mysterious, sinister way. Just... dark. His hair was... normal. A bit fluffed in parts, but mostly laying flat. His skin looked almost old, and his posture was hunched and defensive. He was clutching his leg- the bad one from before- and hissing in pain.

 

“Um... Gold?” Emma asked.

 

His face shot up, and there was such an expression of panic on it. “Please.” He said. But not demanding, ragged.

 

“What?”

 

“Please!” He cried, desperately. “Please give it back!”

 

“Um...”

 

“Please, I'm sorry, I don't know what I did.” Gold was shivering- violently.

 

“Hey, what...” Emma moved forward.

  
He shrunk back, quivering.

 

Emma sat back, frowning. What the hell was he playing at?

 

Gold gulped and looked at her through his hair. He huffed a small sob, then slung himself forward, his leg obviously paining him as he hobbled forward on his knees.

 

Emma floundered as he crawled to her- on his good knee and both hands, shaking visibly.

 

“Please, I can't... I can't be like this... I forgot. Oh, gods- how do you people live like this?” He whispered to himself. He stopped at her feet, then braced himself with a hand on her knee and hunched forward, almost into her lap. “Please give it back.”

 

“Give what back?” Emma asked in confusion. She had just been sitting here!

 

He shuddered, trembling against her leg. Emma wondered if maybe she should pet his head? Who was this person? He looked... terrible, miserable, afraid...

 

He wet his lips and looked up to her, an idea brightening his face. “I will give you something- what do you want?”

 

“I don't know what you want me to do.” Emma shrugged helplessly.

 

“You don't even know...?” He asked, then swayed briefly and looked a bit green (nauseous, not scaly... which was concerning) before mustering energy. “I... I can help you with your power.” He said, shuffling closer until his chest was against her leg. “I will teach you magic.” He offered.

 

Emma frowned.

 

He backpedaled hastily. “Or if you want something else... for me to prove myself first?” He asked. He licked his lips again, nervously. “I... without my powers, I have only myself...” He looked down, then back at her from under his hair. “I... could please you? I am not much to look at... and I haven't much practice, but I could learn? Whatever you want, I will do it. Just teach me.” He said desperately.

 

Emma looked at him askance. As much as she had been wanting him to say that to her, in this context... it was very, very wrong.

 

“I'm sorry!” He cried. “I only ever had my wife, well, not my wife at the time... it was a pity lay, and she became pregnant, but she didn't want me after the... after I...” He cleared his throat. “And... well... no one could ever love me then, so how could they love me as a monster?” He swallowed. “I am quick of wit, though?” He looked at her hopefully. “I will learn easily.”

 

“I am not using you as a...” Whatever he was proposing.

 

He took her hand in his, clutching it desperately, his eyes going wild. “What would you have, then? Anything... but I have nothing! I will tell you where the Dark Castle is?” He offered hopefully. “Even a bit of the power back, so that I can feel again?”

 

“I don't understand... what did I do?”

 

“You took my power.” He said baldly. “Please give it back.” He paused, thoughtful. “Or kill me?” He asked miserably. “There are many who would see me suffer for who I have been. You would be kind.” He looked down, shifting his weight off his wounded leg miserable.

 

“I'm not killing you, and fewer people than you would think would want to, either...” She trailed off. His power? Then... oh! The glass stuff. She closed her eyes and focused, trying to pull out from in between- but the glass had somehow become sticky, and it was... it wasn't letting her go.

 

“Emma?” He asked at a whisper.

 

“Silence!” Emma hissed. “I take what I want!” She giggled. “Why shouldn't I take your power? It is mine! It was already mine.” She swayed, her emotions bursting like kaleidoscopes behind her eyeballs. The power- it was heady. She felt strong, invincible, so _right_.

 

Emma giggled to herself. “I will... I will... make them all pay. You... I will make you pay, for trapping me in this world!” Her eyes fixed to the quivering man before her, grinning. She could smell the fear coming off of him, practically taste it. She yanked him up into her lap, laughing when he cried out in pain. She made him straddle her, digging her fingers into the tender part of his bad leg. He panted in agony, keeping his arm stretched out to keep space between them. “Mine, mine, mine- little plotter. I will do what I want, yes.” She pulled him close and licked a trail up his neck, then bit the straps of muscle- hard.

 

“Emma.” He panted. “I know it is hard, but try to remember yourself.”

 

“I haven't forgotten.” She muttered, nibbling at his pulse.

 

His breath started to come quicker. “I... you can have the power, dearest- I'm sorry I wanted it. Please, take it.”

 

“Yesssss...” Emma hissed in pleasure. Now the fear in him was twined with desire and she wanted more. Wanted him on his back, begging her. They would all beg her.

 

“Emma.” said Gold, or Rumpelstiltskin, or whoever he was- his eyes were even darker with pupils shot wide in fear and desire. “You can have it- but don't let it take you.” He begged her. She stroked up his thigh, gentle now, and silenced his fool words.

 

“Human, so human.” Emma sang. “Who dies first, now? Lifetimes upon lifetimes.”

 

“Emma... remember the Queen?” He asked.

 

Emma frowned. That was not something she wanted to be thinking about when she finally had a man lusting after her. When she finally felt so free! She grunted in annoyance. She slid her hand down his pants, pleased when he gasped and rocked forward.

 

But he wouldn't be distracted. “The Queen... she was an idiot. Evil... always so unintelligent, wouldn't you agree?”

 

Emma growled in annoyance. “Why are you talking?” She complained, then captured his mouth with hers. Her tongue slid through the barrier of his teeth and plundered inside and she felt intense satisfaction. No more talking.

 

But he pulled back and sucked in air. Emma paused briefly, wondering if she might have suffocated him. She felt like she could exist forever, not breathing if she didn't want to. Not needing anything, not even air.

 

“Evil... doesn't _think_. It _reacts_ and that is why it will _lose._ ” He said it not with the arrogance of Gold, or the mocking of the imp. He stated it, a fact- a fact from a long life filled with pain.

 

Emma swayed slightly, feeling off. What he said, she remembered what he was saying...

 

He put his forehead on hers, taking shuddering breaths, smelling of remnants of fear, rising lust, but also... something tart... sadness?

 

“Emma, you can beat it, come on. You don't want to destroy lives, kill innocents, drive your loved ones away from you, then back to kill you.”

 

“They can't kill me.” She scoffed.

 

“Henry... if he came, would you let him try?” He whispered.

 

“Henry...” The mention of her son let something through the haze- and now she could see it as a haze. Her son. He always called her the hero.

 

“That's right, Henry wouldn't want to have to kill you. But he would. And he knows how, doesn't he. He would kill you, then he would be the Dark One.”

 

“No...” Emma groaned. Then her eyes darkened. “You are trying to trick me.” She hissed.

 

“Emma, I...” He licked his lips and Emma's eyes followed the movement. “I don't want to lose you to this... you can beat it.” He traced one hand along her cheek and his fear-scent spiked, but something else, too. While Emma was trying to figure it out, he lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her, gently.

 

Emma's eyes slid closed and a small sigh escaped. When she opened her eyes, she saw the worry in his and nuzzled her nose against his. There was a calming of the emotions, but she could feel them, just on the edge of her mind, pressing in. “I... don't want to fight.” She shuddered. “What is happening to me?” She felt the giddiness coming back. It wanted to rend people, take their souls, make them beg her, grovel and weep. It wanted to let the world _burn_ and dance on the ashes. “What is this?”

 

“Let it go, Emma. I know how to contain it, give it back to me.” Rumpelstiltskin whispered shakily.

 

“I... I don't know how.” Emma replied forlornly.

 

“I can feel it a bit. Do you trust me?”He looked deep into her eyes and she looked back. They were so close she could barely focus, but she didn't want to pull back.

 

Emma took a deep breath- she could smell him still. Still afraid, she could also taste his unhappiness, loneliness, how the arousal was making him even more depressed. The faintest tickle of magic in him, now. Through it, she could sense him. And all that information! It was sensing in a way that she never had before and the power felt like riding the crest of a magnificent wave!

 

No. There were the emotions again- this, this _knowing_ , the feeling inside a person, knowing what they wished for, their desperation. That was the curse, she could tell now. “I'm afraid.” Emma whispered, before she started to giggle against her will.

 

“Emma.” Rumpelstiltskin said helplessly. “Please trust me. Let it go.”

 

“Yes.” She sighed, and relaxed. Her mind retracted, sliding away from the once-again smoothness of the edges, flowing back into sight. Emma swayed as she snapped back to herself.

 

“Emma.” Her eyes snapped open- that voice was dangerous.

 

She looked at Rumpelstiltskin as he slid his claws around her neck.

 

“Emma, you play a dangerous game!” He grinned, barring his teeth. He slid the nails along her jugular and scraped the sharp edges of his teeth against her cheekbone in an almost-bite, making her shiver.

 

She looked at him with wide eyes. She felt like she should be scared, but it was just making her breath run faster to see him like this- unafraid, his magic coiling against her, stretching out, testing and tasting the environment. She felt dizzy. She felt the _need_ to kiss him again thrumming through her.

 

But before she could move towards him, Rumpelstiltskin let his head fall back, hissing in a breath through his clenched teeth. He was stiff, his magic flickering about him chaotically, fighting. She could see the parts that were coming from that invisible twisted-glass place fighting with the parts that were taming down. He finally let loose a large sigh and everything settled. His skin slowly sank back towards the sparkly-yet-human kind it had been earlier.

 

“Emma.” He smiled at her, making her heart beat a bit faster. She wondered vaguely if she would die from it going so quickly. “You resisted the Dark One... la di da!”

 

“Right.” Emma cleared her throat. This whole situation had been too bizarre. It had felt so... good.

 

“Also...” He drawled.

 

“What?” Emma tested her mind's edges- they were curling around his- was she in danger again?

 

“You can take your hand out of my pants.” He suggested.

 

Emma looked down in shock, then flushed bright red. “Ah....” She froze entirely. Had she _really_ done that?

 

“Anytime, love, unless you want to continue, though I might have to insist on a bit of role reversal.”

 

Emma looked up at him, unconsciously looking to see if he was being serious. When she made no immediate move, she watched his eyebrows shoot up into his hair and the red creep up his neck.

 

“Ah, you really know how to tempt a man.” He hissed breathlessly.

  
“Hand down the pants... not exactly subtle.” Emma tried for nonchalance, but it came out more like a squeak.

 

“Sadly, love, you are about to pass out.” Rumpelstiltskin said, with something like real regret in his voice. “And you probably still aren't in your right mind.”

 

“I'm not going to pass out!” Emma protested hotly. “I feel perfe-” She lost consciousness so quickly, her word cut of mid-syllable.


	14. Operation Viper Phase 2

“Hey, Emma. You don't have to help me if you don't want to.” Henry flicked his practice sword up and onto his shoulder.

 

“Don't do that, Henry- if that were a real blade, you would cut your shoulder.” Emma snapped back immediately.

 

“Oh, right.” Henry said sheepishly. “But it looks cool.”

 

“Lots of things look cool because they are dangerous.” Emma pointed out. “Which is why you need to respect them.”

 

“Ok.” Henry agreed.

 

Emma rubbed her forehead with her non-sword hand and sighed. “I do really want to help you, Henry. I'm sorry I'm distracted.”

 

“Are you sick? You went to bed really late after the party the other night. And you've been acting weird since then.”

 

Emma gave him a sharp look. “You are too observant for your own good, kid.” She muttered.

 

Henry screwed up his nose as a thought suddenly occurred to him. “Rumpelstiltskin's been acting weird, too, did you catch it from him?” Emma jerked as if he had hit her, which kind of scared Henry. And how intensely she focused on him was definitely intimidating. “Um...” Henry said uneasily. “Forget I asked.”

 

“You've been talking to him?”

 

“Er... no?” Henry winced. “And certainly not making any deals!” He added hastily.

 

“You're not in trouble, Henry. I just... want to know how he's doing.” Emma said, putting her sword in the rack and sitting on the bench.

 

Henry followed suit. “Um... you talk to him more than I do. What do you think?”

 

“Please just tell me, Henry.” Emma said, sighing and slumping a bit.

 

“Well, I dunno. He's being sort of twitchy. Like he was when we first got back. You know, before you found me in the cell.” Henry tapped his fingers on his legs, thinking. “Maybe something disrupted the curse? He said last time that he was dealing with the feelings again and he wasn't used to it.”

 

“Ok...” Emma nodded. “Um... anything else?”

 

“Um... I guess he's been nicer?”

 

“What do you mean?” Emma asked, leaning forward intently again.

 

“Well, I dunno. Before, I would ask him to help me out with stuff, you know, cause I get stuck or whatever. He used to laugh at me and make fun of me when I asked, but if I paid attention to the parts he was teasing me about, that was the answer.” Henry scratched the back of his head. “But for the past couple days he's just been helping-helping. And telling me these long stories about how the things I'm learning could be used. Which is really wicked... but I don't know why he's doing it.”

 

Emma sighed and put her chin in her hand, looking away from Henry pensively.

 

“Why don't you just call him? You have the dagger, right?”

 

Emma _flinched_. Henry blinked in surprise at her intense reaction.

 

“I can't do that.” Emma said hoarsely. “I won't.”

 

“Um. Ok?” Henry looked around the practice salle, fiddling with the ends of his shirt sleeves.

 

Emma looked at her son and huffed fondly. “Sorry, Henry. I'm just a bit out of sorts. I think you're right, I caught something from Rumpelstiltskin. I'm sure I'll be fine.” She smiled sadly. “But remember what you said about it being mean to force him to do stuff?”

 

“Yeah?” Henry replied, not sure where she was going with this.

 

“Well, I agree. So I'm not going to make him come if he doesn't want to.”

 

“Oh. Well... why wouldn't he want to? I thought you liked each other?” Henry asked, puzzled.

 

Emma winced again. “Yeah. Well, grown-ups can be really silly sometimes. Especially when we've... given each other illnesses.”

 

“Uh huh.” Henry said wryly. “You know I'm almost eleven, not two, right?”

 

Emma grinned sheepishly. “Of course I do, kid.” She rubbed her hands on her legs nervously. “How could I forget when your birthday party is in a month.”

 

“Six weeks.” Henry corrected, grinning.

 

Emma grinned back, looking relieved. “Yes, well, soon anyway. That's not the sort of thing one can forget, is it?”

 

“No.” Henry replied easily. He knew his mom thought he had forgotten her odd line of questioning. But she really should know better. He noticed that both she and his grandma (which was still kind of weird to think of his school teacher as) had a tendency to think that people would just drop stuff. Even though the knew that neither of them would, and that Henry was their flesh and blood. Why would he? So he tucked the conversation in his mental folder for Operation:Viper.

 

OoOoO

 

Henry knew that his first step in this new phase of Operation: Viper had to be the gathering of allies. So he tracked down the resident wolf and Rumpelstiltskin's best friend. He found the pair in the library, where they tended to hide. Henry knew they were unhappy here... but he wasn't totally sure why. Hello- fairy tale castle!

 

“Henry!” Belle exclaimed. “Not you, too?”

 

“Um. What?” Henry asked in confusion. Who else was recruiting for Operation: Viper?

 

“Oh. You're not here to convince us to move in with Rumpelstiltskin?”

 

Henry's face stretched into a gigantic, involuntary grin. “You _are!?_ He'll love that!” Henry danced in place, almost squeeing in happiness. Someone _was_ in on Operation: Viper, though not the new super secret arm of the plan.

 

Red rolled her eyes. “Well, he _wasn't_ in on the plot, but you had to go and mention it to him.” She said wryly.

 

“Oh, Henry, honey, it would be a terrible idea to go live with him, no matter what Emma says.” Belle wrung her hands worriedly.

 

“Emma suggested it?” Henry blinked. Well... that was interesting.

 

“Well, yes.” Belle replied. “Who else would think of such a crazy idea.”

  
She had a point. But... “It's not a crazy idea. You've lived with him before.” Henry pointed out.

 

“Well, I have...” Belle trailed off.

 

“I doubt he would like the two of us living together.” Red sighed. “Who would?”

 

“Oh.” Henry frowned in confusion. “I guess... but why wouldn't he like you, Red? You're really cool.”

 

“Thanks, Henry, but there's a bit more to it than that...” Red muttered.

 

“And you are both cursed so you could be curse-buddies!” Henry smiled.

 

Red paled and gulped. “Uh...”

 

Belle patted her shoulder. “He meant that positively.” She assured her girlfriend.

 

“Right.” Red sighed, rubbing her forehead.

 

“Well, I know it's technically against the law to be cursed, but that's stupid. Plus you're the Queen's friend and helped save us all and stuff.” Henry said dismissively. “But anyway- yeah, you should go live with Rumpelstiltskin!”

 

“Shh!” Belle shushed him. “Not so loud.” She craned her neck, then looked to Red, who shook her head, tapping her nose. Belle relaxed. “He would definitely not welcome me back, after how we left off...”

 

“Oh, sure he would!” Henry grinned happily. “He was about to offer you a place to stay when the Evil Queen said your father kicked you out. He was really upset at the thought of you with no place to go.”

 

“How do you know that?” Belle blinked in confusion.

  
“There was a storybook with all of your tales in there.” Henry said happily.

 

“So... you know the details of everyone's life. Including the private bits we wouldn't want anyone but people very close to us to know... if even then?” Red asked sharply.

 

Henry deflated. “Oh.” He scratched the back of his neck. “Um... yeah. I guess so.”

 

Red glared at him with eyes that started to glow a bit yellow.

 

“Urk!” Henry gulped. “I'm sorry! It was to break the curse!”

 

Red growled until Belle put a hand on her arm, and she subsided, grumbling, looking at Henry warily out of the corner of her eye.

 

“Henry... you really think he would let us stay with him?” Belle asked finally.

  
“Oh, sure. He's not a bad guy.... even with that Dark One stuff. He knows how to keep the curse in check.” Henry nodded quickly, sneaking unsubtle glances at Belle's rather wolf-y looking girlfriend.

 

“Really?” Belle smiled cautiously, hopefully.

 

“Yeah.” Henry looked back at Belle. “But you definitely shouldn't kiss him again.”

  
“Oh, no problem.” Belle said wryly.

 

“And certainly not try to break his curse. He likes it, I think. He seems happier than as Mr. Gold.” Henry added.

 

“You think so, too?” Belle asked, shaking her head. “That's what Emma said.”

 

“Well, she is my mom. So we're both really perceptive.” Henry said proudly.

  
“Uh huh.” Belle smiled.

 

“Well, what have we got to lose?” Red shrugged.

 

“Our lives?” Belle replied sarcastically.

 

“Rumpelstiltskin doesn't kill people.” Henry protested. “Well... I mean, he _used to_ but he said that was uncouth and he didn't like it anymore.”

 

“Thanks, Henry. That's really reassuring.” Belle shook her head.

 

OoOOoOo

 

“Oh, I don't know that this is a good idea.” Belle said nervously, her hand raised and her fist hanging listlessly.

 

“Just knock on the damn door. He's had a while to cool off, and Emma _and_ Henry said that they thought it would be fine.” Red rolled her eyes fondly.

 

“But she didn't say _why_ she thought it would be fine...” Belle trailed off nervously. “Henry had some good arguments.” She allowed. “But he's just a kid!”

 

“The princess talks to the imp frequently- she said as much. That he won't leave her alone. So, it makes sense that she would know.” Red shrugged. “And that brat knows more than is good for him... and anyway, he's usually right. If you can't trust royalty in this land, who can you trust?”

 

“But Rumpelstiltskin can be... very tricky to figure out what he actually means. He has blatant signs if you can see through the posturing, but I don't know where Emma is on that scale.” Belle replied worriedly. “Or Henry... he always sees the good in everyone.”

 

“I am sure that she can tell- they call her the 'Truth Seeker' for a reason.” Red said dryly. “She might even be better at it than you are, with him.” She shrugged. “I think the fact that he constantly is bugging _those_ two means he has enough patience to deal with _us_.”

 

Belle looked affronted. “Know him better?! I should think not! She hasn't known him nearly as long as I have!”

 

Red smirked. Plan working. “Oh, I don't know... she did know him in his other form, and you didn't really. There is a certain amount of bleed over of personality from the other world, especially since he recalls everything that happened, unlike the rest of us.”

 

“Hah! So what? She didn't even know about magic back then, which is a huge part of who he is.” Belle huffed. “Even if we were to break the curse, it would be a huge portion of his life.”

 

Red looked at her lover in alarm. “Remember what they said, though.”

 

“Yes, I know.” Belle sighed. Henry had been pretty adamant, but it had been impossible to argue with Emma about the curse breaking. The princess had strongly recommended leaving the castle and that Rumpelstiltskin would be thrilled to see them, but she had been even more forceful that breaking the curse would be terrible for him. “It is a curse, though. I don't quite get why he wouldn't want to be free of it.”

 

“Emma is not one to say anything without absolute proof, at least not that implacably.” Red reminded. “You want him to be happy, right?”

 

“Of course. That's why I would never try to do it without his permission.” Belle nodded.

 

“Not try _again_ without his permission.” Red smirked.

 

Belle flushed. “Right. Well... exactly. He never seems happy, though, I mean, not really.” She shrugged.

 

“Being happy or not does not have to have anything to do with being under a curse.” Red said pointedly, her hand unconsciously fiddling with the edge of her cloak.

 

“Oh, I know, Red.” Belle smiled beautifully. “I think you mean we need to find him a wife.”

 

“Or husband.” Red added.

 

Belle's laugh pealed out into the gloom surrounding the Dark Castle, making it seem a bit lighter.

 

The door banged open, startling the two of them.

 

“Who is distur.....” Rumpelstiltskin shouted, only to stumble to a halt, staring at the two of them.

 

“Oh, um... hello.” Belle said nervously, pushing her skirts down with two worried hands.

 

Rumpelstiltskin just stared at them.

 

“So...” Red prompted, but the two of them didn't take the hint. She sighed.

 

Rumpelstiltskin's eyes flicked over to Red. “I won't lift your curse.” He snapped.

 

“Oh. Ok.” Red rubbed the back of her neck, then froze. “You mean it _can be_ lifted?”

 

He frowned at her, his eyebrow twitching. “Of course it can be lifted, dearie- I was there when your family was first cursed. But it is a blood-tied curse, and the price is more than you could ever pay.” He bared his teeth at her.

 

“I see.” Red tilted her head contemplatively at him. “But the curse has been on my family since my great-grandparent's time.” She grinned. “You are _old_.”

 

Rumpelstiltskin sneered at her. “Yes, yes. Did you all come to my doorstep to insult me, then? How very lovely, what a nice thing to do.” He moved back and made as if to close the door.

 

“Wait!” Belle stepped forward and Rumpelstiltskin stilled again uncertainly. “We came... um... because... well...”

 

Red sighed. If she wasn't secure in the fact that Belle loved her, she would think her twitterpated. Rumpelstiltskin was looking at her rather uncertainly as well. “We came because no one is willing to put up with our perversion.” Red said.

 

Belle looked at her gratefully.

 

A grin spread across Rumpelstiltskin's face, overly cheerful. “I already told you I couldn't do a thing for your curse, dearie. So if you will excuse me....” He tried again to close the door, rather hurriedly in fact.

 

Red caught it, much to his apparent annoyance. “Not that!” She snapped.

 

“Then... what?” Rumpelstiltskin's brow furrowed, both in confusion and because he was unable to budge Red. Sometimes, having supernatural wolf-strength was helpful. Such as when facing off with another supernaturally enhanced being. Fortunately wolf beat imp, especially since she had a good couple inches and probably a few kilos of muscle on him. Red grinned, letting her canines show in her amusement. Rumpelstiltskin let out a puff of air in irritation.

 

“Well, our love.” Belle answered the question, sad about her statement, but a small quirk in her lips from their antics.

 

Rumpelstiltskin abruptly let go of the door, causing Red to stumble. “The goody-two-shoes are upset about love?” He asked in utter bewilderment.

 

“Not love- our love. Specifically.” Belle prompted.

 

Rumpelstiltskin scratched his head. “It's 'True Love', isn't it? I can see it on you.” He looked a bit disgusted, causing Belle to wilt, though his statement that he could tell had made her perk up a bit. “Belle, dear, you are not making much sense. They are all in love over there, so what? Usually people 'in love'” He air-quotes-ed it, looking disgruntled “are all about sharing it and having everyone be happy around them.”

 

Belle looked at him in confusion. “Well, yes. Snow and Charming have been supportive.”

 

“But it is unnatural for two women to love each other.” Red decided to cut to the chase.

 

Understanding dawned on Rumpelstiltskin. He burst out laughing.

 

“What exactly is so funny?” Red growled, while Belle just regarded him quizzically.

 

Rumpelstiltskin grasped onto the door, wheezing. The two women watched him with various expressions until he got a hold of himself. “Ah, Good. It is always a riot to see what righteous knots they are going to twist themselves into. I think I need to use that for my next deal...” He giggled.

 

“Um, ok.” Belle's eyebrows furrowed. “It's not funny for us.” She added.

 

“Right, right. Of course.” He wiped tears off his scaly skin, sticking one into a bottle curiously. He hmmed when it turned dark. “I wouldn't expect it to be. It is so rare to have same-sex True Love here, with procreation being so important in the culture, and all. I think it would be much more pre-va-lent in the other world.” He sang 'prevalent' and stuck the bottle of his tears inside his vest. He looked at them shrewdly. “Well, as much as I appreciate the laughs, dearies, you haven't said why you are here.”

 

“Oh.” Belle rubbed her arm with her other hand.

 

Rumpelstiltskin blinked. “Oh.” He echoed. After a brief silence, something like hope struggled to bloom in his expression. “You... need a place to stay?” He asked hesitantly.

 

“I know that you like your solitude, but we could clean for you. And Red is a great cook... at least, now she is... and... well, I did enjoy staying here before, even if you made me, really, so... it could be just for a little bit.” Belle babbled. She cut herself off when the words seemed to smack Rumpelstiltskin in the back of the head hard enough to daze him.

 

He swallowed reflexively. “You... want to stay... with me?” He asked uncertainly.

 

“Well... yes.” Belle said.

 

Rumpelstiltskin turned to Red. “You as well?”

 

“Obviously.” Red crossed her arms over her chest defensively.

 

“Oh.” Rumpelstiltskin blinked, turning back to Belle. “But I let you go.”

 

“And I'd like to come back.” Belle replied. “If you'd let me?” She finished hesitantly. “I'm so sorry about before! I won't try to break your curse without your consent again, I swear! It was a terrible thing to do, and it's your decision.” Belle added when he didn't say anything. “Oh... maybe this was a bad idea...” She backed up. “I know I haven't been the best to you...”

 

“No!” Rumpelstiltskin shook himself out of his shock, stepping forward and gesturing helplessly with his hand. Belle squeaked at the sudden movement. “I mean, it would be lovely if you girls would like to stay for a little while.” He said more softly. “I certainly have the room.” He smiled ironically.

 

“Really!?” Belle squealed.

 

“I don't see why not...” Rumpelstiltskin said, trying to sound nonchalant.

 

“Oh, thank you, Rumple!” Belle squealed, launching herself at him. He caught her out of pure reflex as she glomped him.

 

“Erm...” Rumpelstiltskin looked helplessly at Red, looking for rescue. Red shrugged at him.

 

Belle released him quickly and stepped back, looking at Rumpelstiltskin pointedly.

 

Rumpelstiltskin blinked, then shook his head in chagrin and stepped back, sweeping into a bow. “Would you two lov-e-ly ladies like to come in?” He asked.

 

“Why, thank you, sir.” Belle said snootily, sweeping past him. Red followed snickering, mouthing 'thank you' to the imp before following her lover inside.

 

Rumpelstiltskin fidgeted for a second, looking happily lost in the doorway, before doing a little skip step and following them. The doors closed behind him.

 

“Oh... my.” Belle said, trailing off in despair.

 

“What?” Rumpelstiltskin asked defensively.

 

“Um... well.” Belle gestured hopelessly. The foyer of was covered in at least an inch of dust and debris in most places, looking rather like snow. There were some impressively large cobwebs stringing from the rafters. But more than that- nothing was in its place. The hangings were torn down and heaped on the floor underneath, there were mushed gold objects in various states of being dismembered, the occasional jewel gleaming from a dust bunny like a demented eye. And not a single intact pane of glass in the entire place.

 

“We were gone for several decades.” Rumpelstiltskin said stiffly. “And though my wards were mostly intact, some persistent people seem to have made it through and looted the place.”

 

“Oh.” Belle blinked.

 

“The roof's intact?” Red asked.

 

“For the most part.” Rumpelstiltskin stiffened further, looking like he was about to raise hackles, if he had them.

 

“Well, let's start with those leaks and go from there.” Red said practically.

 

“Oooh. You know how to repair shingles?” Belle asked, eyes shining.

 

“That I do.” Red grinned.

 

“You never cease to amaze me, Red.” Belle grinned. She moved closer. “How ever will we be safe up there? There are all manner of... gargoyles.”

 

“All the better to _secure_ you to, my dear.” Red grinned wolfishly.

 

Rumpelstiltskin cleared his throat.

 

“Oh!” Belle looked up at him sheepishly. “Sorry, Rumple.”

 

“It's fine dearies.” Rumpelstiltskin smirked. “I do appreciate the offer, but I think it would be best if you let me handle the structural stuff.”

 

“If you can fix it with magic, why haven't you done so?” Belle asked in confusion. “For that matter, why did you make me clean everything?” She continued, more hotly.

 

Rumpelstiltskin raised an eyebrow. “Anything can be done with magic, dearie.”

 

“But all magic comes at a price.” Belle and Red recited together.

 

Rumpelstiltskin looked indignant. “I like saying that part.” He said finally, pouting.

 

“Ah, sorry, Rumple.” Belle grinned.

 

“We can repair the roof, save yourself for the windows. Unless you just want to deal for new glass, I suppose. It will take that to get the windows redone. And I don't fancy being here in the winter with these large panes empty.” Red said contemplatively.

 

“The rooms are mostly intact.” Rumpelstiltskin replied. “And the magic that keeps the temperature mild is still there as well, though it does feel more strain without structural support.”

 

“Hmm.” Red hummed. “Well, we can fix it with a mix, then. It will give Belle and I something to do to repay your kindness.”

 

“It's not kindness.” Rumpelstiltskin said softly.

 

“Oh, nonsense!” Belle retorted.

 

Rumpelstiltskin grinned wickedly. “Taking in two young maidens, having them stay in my house... no one will think that _kindness_ is my main motivation. I am quite sure you will no longer have any sort of proprietary reputation after staying with a man, _me_ in particular.”

 

“We can discuss three-somes later.” Red smirked, patting him on a shocked cheek as she breezed by. “Belle- you must show me where the brooms are kept. Hopefully they did not run off with the rest of the goods.”

 

“Coming!” Belle called after her cheerfully. “And, Rumple, we are not having a three-some, as much as I love you.” She added before she raced after her lover.

 

Rumpelstiltskin stood, looking at where they had disappeared and listening to the occasional thump in the distance. His expression couldn't figure out where it wanted to land. “Well, at least it will be interesting...” He muttered to himself, before an uncertain smile won the battle for his face.

 

 


	15. A Little Bird Told Me

 Emma closed her eyes and gasped in pleasure as the man above her nibbled along her jawline. She had been wanting this for so long... she wasn't really sure who he was, but that somehow didn't seem all that important. Thins were sort of hazy, his face was unclear. But what was clear was the building pleasure and the pleasant weight on top of her.

 

Emma looked over the edge of the bed and saw the glowing golden eyes staring at her. Her breath sucked into her lungs in shock and she pushed the man off of her. His body disappeared into smoke, framing Rumpelstiltskin's face as he leaned forward, his crooked teeth gnashing into a smile.

 

“Hello, dearie. Trying to use a man to do a demon's job?”

 

“I guess I am.” Emma replied. The sound of her voice echoed in her bedchamber and broke the dream up into whisps in her subconscious. She looked hopefully to the end of her bed, but she was alone. “Dammit.” Emma sighed.

 

OoOOoOO

 

Emma found that she couldn't relax until a little lark came and delivered the message from Belle.

 

“Oh, good- Belle was able to call one on her own!” Snow said happily. “Is she getting on in her new place?”

 

Emma smiled nervously, unfolding the missive- which was a bit tricky on horseback but not impossible. At least they weren't mid-hunt at the moment. She sagged with relief when she read it. “She says 'all is well, thank you for your advice, Emma; and thank you for teaching her the bird trick, Snow'” Emma read.

 

“Well, I am glad. They were moping a bit here, and I do want my friends to be happy.” Snow smiled. “Do you think that they would much enjoy a visit?”

 

“Well, maybe we should give them a chance to settle in.” Emma evaded. Snow nodded and Emma let out a sigh of relief. She knew that her mother knew who lived in that house, whose house it was- Snow had been there looking for magic, after all. And Snow was still not completely ok with the whole Rumpelstiltskin issue, though being as kind a soul as she was, she had forgiven everyone else in question since the thing had been settled in what passed for legal terms around here.

 

It helped that Rumpelstiltskin had not made any move for revenge. The ruling family was content to put him out of their minds for now. They had more immediate concerns for governing than a possible, unpredictable future problem.

 

“Ooh! Do you hear that?” Snow asked excitedly.

 

Emma could indeed hear the baying off to their left.

 

“The hounds have found a hart!” Snow urged her steed to leap through the bushes in hot pursuit.

 

Emma laughed and followed her younger mother. She hadn't hunted before coming here, but it was a bit fun. And it made eating the weird things they did seem a bit less weird, somehow. Though why seeing the animal moving meant that seeing it later roasted whole helped when she had only ever seen them in plastic, cut up, before.... well, the mind was a strange thing.

 

Emma tucked the note into her waistband and resolved to write a return letter when they got back.

 

OoOOOoo

 

“Ooh, look! A reply!” Belle said happily. She waved Ruby over to sit next to her so they could both see. The foyer was looking much better- or, at least, clear of debris. Rumpelstiltskin had gone off to find a despondent glassier to deal with for the panes.

 

_Belle and Red-_

 

_So glad to hear it went well. I know I said I was confident, but I was actually a bit worried._

 

“Who wouldn't be?” Red asked rhetorically.

 

_I hope that you guys can find happiness- I look forward to hearing stories (but nothing too explicit!)._

 

“And look, it's in code!” Red laughed. She remembered that Emma had described the term 'guys' to describe friends. But here Emma obviously meant all three of them.

 

“Shh! Commenting after we read it through.”

 

“I'm already done.” Red said smugly. “You would think that someone who reads as much as you would be quite a bit faster at it.”

 

“I have read it twice already, thank you. But I am looking for the hidden depth- savoring the meaning!” Belle protested.

 

“It's four sentences.” Ruby laughed. “The bird wouldn't be able to carry a huge missive.”

 

“Yes, yes.” Belle smiled.

 

_Please let me know how everything is going._

 

_Emma_

 

“Well, I think I will write her straight back.” Belle smiled. She turned the paper over, but it already had the original message on the back. “How thoughtless of her.” Belle giggled. “She has an entire castle of vellum, but we must scrounge.” Belle found a small scrap from the trash pile outside and then tracked down her pen at the writing desk.

 

_Dear Emma-_

 

_Things need straightening up here- it looks like it was practically abandoned! We are all well, and I see what you mean that curses do not make the sadness; the darkness is from the heart. We are doing better, though, so don't worry!_

 

_Belle and Red_

 

_PS- You have fancy vellum- stop being so frugal! :)_

 

Belle rolled it up with a smile. She hoped Emma liked her little sideways smile. She recalled seeing it on the mobile communication device that Emma had had in the other world. She whistled a tune and tied the missive to the blue jay's leg, whispering nicely to it. It helped that she was asking it to go _toward_ Snow White. Birds were always happy to comply. And coming to them, Snow sent them, and they loved her. If the communications had been to just Emma, it might have been a bit more difficult. The animals didn't find Emma as awesome as they found her mother.

 

OooOoOOoO

 

Emma read the letter from Belle and smiled. It seemed that the other girl was picking up on all the secret spy stuff beautifully. It was a shame that Henry hadn't gotten her involved earlier- Belle probably would have loved Operations: Cobra and Viper. Emma frowned suspiciously. On second thought, she probably _had_ been involved in Operation: Viper. Henry wasn't one to put all his eggs in one basket, as it were. Speaking of her son, he would probably be pestering her for the note later- he had bemoaned her sending the first back to begin with. But the hunt had been long, and Emma had wanted to reply the same day. Why Henry was so interested she wasn't sure. She had told him what it has said, but he had still pouted at her.

 

Sitting in the garden, Emma wrote up a response.

 

_So glad to hear everything is well. I hope you have the place fixed up. If you need help, maybe you could invite me over?_

 

She added the last hopefully. She hadn't seen Rumpelstiltskin since that last, disastrous meeting in the restaurant. She shuddered remembering all of the foreign, curse derived emotions coursing through her, and she still felt them, faintly, from time to time. She had also gained a disturbing sense of where Rumpelstiltskin was at all times, which could be dizzying as he blipped about seemingly at random. It was enough to skew her sense of balance when it had first happened, or when he was particularly near. She wanted to talk to him about it... but how the hell do you approach someone after something like that?

 

Emma blushed, remembering. She could see it in her head: 'Oh, hi... I did mean to have my hand down your pants and would love to continue that... but first would you mind explaining how stealing your powers means I can sense every move you make and is causing emotional bleed over?' Yeah, that would go over well. Who else could she talk to, though? The only possibility she could really think of was that other Evil Queen, Maleficent, and that was almost certainly a terrible idea. Anyone else was either too good to know about curse problems, right?

 

Emma let the little bird go with a sigh.

 

OoOOoOOo

 

Belle jumped when Rumpelstiltskin slammed his palm down on the table right next to where she was fitting the glass into the wood frame. She looked up at him in confusion, blinking. He looked furious.

 

“You're spying on me?” He hissed.

 

“Um... what?” Belle squeaked. Behind Rumpelstiltskin's stiff form she could see Red standing, ready to attack. Belle caught her eyes and silently willed her to stand down. Red fiddled with her cloak broach, but left it on. Red knew that even with that advantage, Rumpelstiltskin was more powerful. And besides, Belle would likely be hurt or killed by the wolf. But both also knew that Rumpelstiltskin wouldn't hurt Belle. Probably.

 

Rumpelstiltskin presented the small piece of vellum with a flourish of his wrist. Belle nearly had to cross her eyes, but she could see that it was the note that Emma had written.

  
“Oh. Well, Emma was just asking after how we were settling in.” Belle said in relief. She thought he had meant something serious, though what he could have thought she was doing, she didn't know.

 

“How 'you' were settling in?” Rumpelstiltskin snapped, clearly not as mollified as Belle thought he should be in this situation. “Do you think me a fool? She practically accused me of trying to hurt you!”

 

“Well...” Belle said slowly, looking up at him towering over her pointedly. He backed off a step, but still looked like an offended cat. “She was concerned about you, too. She said that she thought you would like some company, and that it would be good for the three of us to...”

 

“She is _not_ concerned about me.” Rumpelstiltskin snapped.

 

Belle looked at him in confusion. “Yes she is...”

 

“No, of course she isn't!” He growled.

 

“People can care for you, Rumpelstiltskin.” Belle insisted. “We are your friends.”

 

“Emma is not my friend.” He said flatly.

 

“Of course she is.” Belle frowned in confusion. “What exactly happened between you two? She was acting very odd when she talked about you, too.”

 

“Oh, and what did you expect, that she would be perfectly normal discussing it.” Rumpelstiltskin said derisively.

 

“Discussing what? I thought you talked with each other a lot... she looked sad...” Belle said faintly. What the heck? Emma had been insistent about them going to see him, but just as adamant that she was not coming and that there was to be absolutely no mention of curse breaking. “Did she... find a way to break your curse?” Belle hazarded. And immediately regretted the question. Intensely.

 

“Break it?!” His voice as so high that it almost cracked. “She _stole_ it.” He hissed.

 

Belle's jaw dropped open. “How...” The word slipped out without her volition, a gasp of a question.

 

“Magic.” Rumpelstiltskin said flatly, then dropped the piece of paper. It promptly burst into flames.

 

“She gave it back.” Red broke in, causing the imp to turn and bar his teeth at her. “So get over it.”

 

Rumpelstiltskin crossed his arms over his chest.

 

“That's not all she did, is it?” Belle asked, suddenly knowing. That he turned so rigid she could probably use him as a plank of wood confirmed her suspicions. The faint darkening of brown at the back of his neck and dusting on his cheeks, though, that was interesting...

 

The sparrow picked that exact instant to fly in through the un-paned window.

 

Belle winced and waited for it, too, to burst into flames. But Rumpelstiltskin just watched it with an expression somewhere between terror, hope and disgust on his face. Belle hurriedly untied the note and sent the bird on its way.

 

“Well?” Rumpelstiltskin snapped, making Belle jump.

 

“Be polite.” Red growled.

 

“This is _my_ house.” Rumpelstiltskin growled right back.

 

“Please.” Bell said, raising her hands in supplication. “Let's try to calm down and be civil.”

 

“Read. The. Note.” Rumpelstiltskin said through gritted teeth.

 

Belle cleared her throat nervously but obediently recited: “ _So glad to hear everything is well. I hope you have the place fixed up. If you need help, maybe you could invite me over?_ ”

 

“She is not coming here.” Rumpelstiltskin snarled.

 

“Why not? She said you used to bother her all the time.” Red gestured ambivalently.

 

Belle watched Rumpelstiltskin's face in fascination. He was practically convulsing with how quickly he was running through expressions. “That's why Emma was sad and not sure how you would react to us coming here- you haven't been to see her in a while, have you?” Belle asked in fascination. “Since the curse problem?”

 

Rumpelstiltskin gave her a truly dirty look and started to fidget.

 

“Well if she can't come here, you should go there.” Red said matter-of-factly.

 

“Absolutely not. She has made it clear she doesn't want me around.”

 

“I'm pretty sure she would like to see you.” Bella said, confidently. Now that she knew a little of the back story, she could see that all the bits where Emma was acting oddly pointed right to this problem. How she had insisted that they come here, but been hesitant to give the 'why' and even become completely close-lipped when pressed, how she had suddenly gotten almost depressed- not dueling the knights anymore, only really talking to her parents, Henry and occasionally Belle or Red, how she would sometimes space out, even... Belle wasn't confident enough to capitalize or put the 't' word in front of it, or really even use the 'l' word at all, but...

 

Rumpelstiltskin didn't acknowledge that she said anything and instead began to walk away.

 

Belle watched him go in bemusement. That was very unlike him.

 

“What's crawled up his ass and died?” Red asked.

 

“Red!” Belle scolded, scandalized.

 

“Sorry, love.” Red smiled. “But you know what I mean.”

 

“Well... I just am certain that Emma wants to see him.”

 

Red looked at her, tilting her head. “How badly?”

 

“Quite urgently.” Belle said seriously.

 

“That much?” Red asked, shocked.

 

“Oh, yeah.” Belle grinned. “Remember when she stood there when we were... you know, and we thought she had left?”

 

Red grinned. “Ooh, yeah. From this?”

 

“I am pretty sure.” Belle nodded.

 

“Oh, she's got it bad if that's what that was.” Red snickered. Then she made a face. “But... him?”

 

Belle shrugged. “Maybe if he were a woman you would find him hot?”

 

Red's face froze and then she _howled_ in laughter.

 

“What?” Belle asked in puzzlement.

 

“Rumpelstiltskin... dress!”

 

“I don't...” But then Belle could see it, too. He would be confused for a moment, suddenly in a long, black velvet ball gown, his hair plaited nicely and falling in ringlets. But then, he would strike up a cute pose, pucker his lips, and blow a kiss. “Oh, dear gods!” Belle gasped before she dissolved into giggles as well.

 

“Aahahahah!” Red replied.

 


	16. Invitations and BBQ

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reference to Emma being abused, probably sexually in some manner. I'm not going to go into more detail than that.

“Well- did you invite them?” Henry asked excitedly.

 

“Didn't you invite them before they left?” Emma asked in surprise.

  
“Well, yeah, I did... I wanted to make it official.” Henry pouted. “And what if they forgot? They have to plan how to get here and how long travel is gonna take and stuff.”

 

Emma sighed. “I'm sure Red and Belle won't forget.”

 

“What about Rumpelstiltskin?” Henry asked in confusion.

 

Emma winced and rubbed an arm uncomfortably. He still hadn't come since... the Incident, and Belle had yet to specifically mention him in the notes. She rather thought that meant that he hadn't forgiven her.

 

“I was going to ask him when he came to see me for a lesson or whatever, but I haven't seen him in a long time!” Henry grumpily continued.

 

“Well... maybe he's busy.” Emma allowed. And considering that she had felt him blipping about all 360 degrees around her and varying distances, it might even be true.

 

“He gets two friends and completely forgets about me.” Henry pouted.

 

“It's not your fault, Henry.” Emma couldn't help but laugh at his over-exaggerated expression.

 

Henry grinned. “There, see? You can smile, Emma!” He dropped the pout as the fake expression it had been. Though there might have been a bit of truth to the complaint- there were plenty of kids Henry's age to play with, but he was still a bit of a loner and had grown up with a different culture. Nowhere near as different as Emma's, seeing as Storybrooke was still mostly 'fairy tale' but far enough away that there were odd moments for him.

 

“That bad, huh?” Emma scratched the back of her head. She had been trying to engage more, but Red and Belle had been her best friends, really. Things had gotten really... odd between her and Snow. Her relationship... or whatever... with Rumpelstiltskin was easier to categorize some days, even with recent events. She smiled wryly.

 

“Uh huh.” Henry replied.

 

“Well... there's only three people who have any idea what I am talking about when I reference the other world, or who even think I'm not crazy for mentioning it at all. And you are great, kid, but sometimes I would really like an adult conversation.” Emma ruffled his hair.

  
Henry ducked out from under her hand. “Hey!” He protested. “Well... maybe I'll get Grandma to send a bird specifically to Rumpelstiltskin.” He mused.

 

“Um... what?” Emma asked, wide eyed.

 

“Yeah!” Henry nodded. “She said I could invite anyone I wanted to.”

 

“Err... I kind of think that she didn't mean him.” Emma replied warily.

 

“Watch me!” Henry grinned confidently.

 

OooOOOOOOOOOO

 

“You want to invite _whom_?” Snow shrieked.

 

“He'll show up anyway.” Henry pointed out.

 

“Absolutely not!” Charming barked.

 

“He's my friend!” Henry pouted, making large puppy eyes. The royal pair wavered.

 

“Henry, it's really not a good idea.” Snow said slowly.

 

“You know what's really not a good idea?” Henry grinned slyly. “Not inviting powerful sorcerers to birthday parties. That's classic 'Sleeping Beauty'.”

 

Charming closed his eyes in irritation and pinched the bridge of his nose.

 

“He's right, you know.” Jiminy said.

 

“I know.” Charming growled.

 

“You... may invite him.” Snow sighed.

 

“Yes!” Henry pumped his fist in the air. “You owe me a hotdog, Emma!”

 

“Emma!” Snow gasped. “I specifically told you not to visit.... houses like that!”

 

Emma sighed and glared at Henry.

 

“Oops.” Henry said sheepishly.

 

“I also remember telling you that I would eat when and where I want to.” Emma crossed her arms over her chest.

 

“It's unbecoming a crown princess.” Snow chided.

 

Emma flinched so hard it was more like a shudder. “Then take me out of the line for the throne.” She retorted. Not really kidding.

 

“We won't do that, Emma. It's just... embarrassing.” Snow said unhappily.

 

“Anyone is welcome to join me in there.” Emma shrugged. At the absolutely flabbergasted looks on both her parents' faces she amended hastily- “For food- to prove I'm not there for other reasons!” She laughed.

 

“Can you send a bird to Rumpelstiltskin?” Henry broke in, giving his grandmother his cute face.

 

Snow looked absolutely disgusted as she replied: “Yes.”

 

“Woohoo!” Henry crowed.

 

Emma laughed.

 

OoOoOOOOOOOOO

 

When Emma felt Rumpelstiltskin's presence suddenly appear beside her, her heart started to race and she wasn't sure what emotion she was feeling. She tried to act as if she were continuing her casual stroll through the immense Royal Gardens, but was pretty sure she failed utterly at that. Especially when she ran straight into a tree. “Ow, you little...” She growled at the tree. Though it may have moved- nothing could be taken for granted in this world- Emma was pretty sure she just hadn't seen it.

 

“Emma... you seem to have twitched the second I materialized. I didn't realize that I had gotten so rusty as to have it be so obvious.” Rumpelstiltskin's voice came from over her shoulder, just where she knew he was.

 

Emma felt his voice roll over her and a part of her that had been tense and unhappy for weeks now just... relaxed. She turned slowly on her heal to face him. Looking at the sparkling scales of his face, she had to swallow before she could say anything. “Yes, well. Trained dragon-slaying knight and all.” She tried for nonchalance.

 

“Taking on trees, then?” Rumpelstiltskin asked with a smirk as he eased forward, walking sideways and at a crouch, looking at her warily. Emma almost grabbed her chest at the pain the sight caused her, though she dutifully ignored it. “Detecting magic usage is more what a sorceress' talents would encompass, not a knight.” Rumpelstiltskin commented.

 

“Oh.” Emma fidgeted with the lacing on her bracer, but didn't let him out of her peripheral vision. She had a completely (well, mostly) irrational fear he was going to disappear again. “I don't have the best control over that. I try not to use it.” She shrugged.

 

“You're not doing a good job.” Rumpelstiltskin grinned suddenly.

 

Emma rubbed the back of her neck. “Well, yeah. You did say you would teach me?” She looked up hopefully.

 

Rumpelstiltskin eyed her warily. “After a fashion.” He allowed.

 

Emma raised an eyebrow. “You don't remember the deal?”

 

Rumpelstiltskin backed off, wincing. “I don't need a reminder, love!” He held up his hands placating, pleading.

 

Emma frowned at his reaction, unhappy. She sank onto a nearby root and tried to look harmless so he didn't run off. “I wouldn't do that.” She said softly. She hadn't liked seeing him so miserable, nor had she liked what those thoughts and feelings had done to her. She didn't know how he had coped... though, looking at his life story, she guessed he hadn't, really. He'd had to figure it out over a long period of time.

 

“No?” Rumpelstiltskin looked skeptical.

 

“I don't want that... influence.” Emma sighed. “I'll leave it someone who knows how to deal with it.”

 

Rumpelstiltskin grinned, feral, coming a bit closer to her again, but still curled up on himself. “Many would argue with your assessment, love.”

 

“Oh, I don't disagree that the curse has made you into a loud, obnoxious, twirling lunatic.” Emma rebutted, smiling when he mimed a wound to his heart. “But considering what the curse _wants_ you to do and be, being a bit insane is hardly a surprising side effect of being merely an agent of chaos, not darkness and destruction.” She finished.

 

Rumpelstiltskin looked uncomfortable, like he wanted to make light of what she had just said- but there was only one person in this world that actually did know what the curse was like, and that was Emma. “Yes, well.” He muttered. His gold eyes slid up to hers. “Just please kill me next time you want to steal my power. I would rather be dead than... powerless.”

 

Emma cleared her throat. “Alright.”

 

“It's a deal, then.” He smirked.

 

“If you insist.” Emma sighed. It wasn't a pleasant conversation, but it seemed to be going as well as could be expected. And he was still there, so... that was good. “But I'm not going to take on those powers. Nor kill you, of course...”

 

Rumpelstiltskin waved a hand dismissively, obviously not believing her at all. “Everyone wants to kill me in the end.” He said practically.

 

Emma looked at him incredulously. “You make that many awful deals?”

 

He shrugged.

 

“I don't believe that. All the people I talked to didn't want to see you dead. They felt like the trades had been mostly worth it.” Emma countered.

 

“Truly?” Rumpelstiltskin looked honestly surprised.

 

“I thought the gingerbread men was particularly amusing.” Emma admitted. “And that old woman lit up telling the tale- she thought it was a riot as well.”

 

“Oh.” Rumpelstiltskin grinned. “The gingerbread men were certainly more delicious when they screamed.”

 

Emma stared at him, trying to figure out if he was serious. He was. She cracked up laughing. “I bet you ate their legs first, you sick bastard.” She chuckled.

 

“Most people find that sort of comment disturbing. Especially when they believe me.” Rumpelstiltskin said wryly. “They don't make even _more_ disturbing additions.” He cocked his head at her, examining her like she was some fascinating thing.

 

Emma grinned at him, then stiffened when she saw that her aura was starting to bleed into his- to the point that she couldn't tell where hers ended and his began. When had that happened?! She sucked in a worried breath and ruthlessly pulled her aura away. Except it wouldn't come. She yanked on it with all her might.

 

“Oof!” Rumpelstiltskin protested as he pitched bodily into the forest floor.

 

“Oh my God, I'm so sorry!” Emma burst out. This was so frustrating! It wasn't nearly this bad with anyone else! She felt herself shaking shaking and her stomach twisted in panic- it still wouldn't separate. She was terrified that she was going to slip into the hidden space again and... she shivered violently.

 

“You were not making light when you said you weren't a good sorceress.” Rumpelstiltskin muttered, picking himself up off the ground. “But knocking me over is not exactly 'refraining from using your powers.'”

 

“I'm so sorry... I can't help but touch you.”

 

They both stared at each other for a long second.

 

Emma felt herself go red. “I mean, my... magic-aura-thing. I was trying to pull it back. I don't want to... do... That again.”

 

Rumpelstiltskin blinked slowly, looking a bit like he was trying to reboot his brain. “Pardon?”

 

“You know... how everyone... well, touches each other. That's how you can speak their language and... know where they are and everything.” Emma tried to explain, but it's not like she knew the proper terms.

 

“Yes.” Rumpelstiltskin mused. “The difference between peasants and royalty.” He looked at her shrewdly, moving closer and staring at her intently.

 

“Well, I guess. Midas was calling me a peasant because I couldn't understand Greek. Greek!” Emma scrubbed her eyes in frustration. “As if I should know these things somehow, after growing up in a world where no one has any magic.”

 

“It is hard to control, at first.” Rumpelstiltskin allowed. “But to have trouble connecting...”

 

Emma glared at the space between them, at the blended aura. “Well, usually I can keep separate.”

 

Rumpelstiltskin looked at her, tilting his head to the side. He finally was close to her- within arms length. And... getting closer. He peered intently into her face. “Why would you want to, love? Someone must have done something terrible to you to make you pull back like that.”

 

Emma stiffened.

 

“When you were young, likely... before Storybrooke.” He reached out with a hand and almost touched her cheek. His finger traced the air over her skin and made her shiver. “Whatever could it have been?”

 

“You tell me. Don't you know everything?” Emma growled.

 

“I do think I know, Emma.” Rumpelstiltskin looked sad. “You are right that I know most of your life... my source didn't have details.”

 

Thank God, Emma thought. It was terrible enough even alluding to what her third foster father had done.

 

Rumpelstiltskin sighed unhappily. “That doesn't happen here. This world is cruel, but where True Love can actually exist, such sexual deviancy...”

 

Emma caught his wrist, making him click his teeth shut in shock.

 

“Don't.” Emma snapped. “Don't say it.”

 

“Alright.” Rumpelstiltskin's eyes flicked towards his wrist, but he made no move to escape her hold.

 

“So, will you teach me to control it, then? It was our deal.” Emma clenched her jaw in frustration.

 

“Of course.”

 

“Well, good.” Emma swallowed nervously. She didn't really want to learn, but if it meant that she didn't go around stealing curses and heaping them on herself and getting headaches whenever she tried to talk to someone... surely that would be better?

 

“I suppose the first order of business is to figure out your... touching people problem.” Rumpelstiltskin grinned ironically. “The original cause aside, what do you mean that you were afraid it would lead to... that.” He looked at her intently.

 

“Well... that's how I did it. I followed the magic-aura-thing when I gave you the command, and it ended up in this smooth place with crevices.” Emma tried to explain. “And as I filled it, then it cut you off... then it got sticky, and then I was... well, the Dark One, I guess.”

 

Rumpelstiltskin stared at her in pure fascination.

 

“What?” Emma asked anxiously.

 

“You are simply extraordinary.” Rumpelstiltskin breathed. “You accidentally felt your way to breaking a curse that has been around since... well, for a long time.” He scooted closer to her in excitement. “Do you know how many people have tried over the years?”

 

“I'm guessing a lot.” Emma replied wryly.

 

“Oh, yes.” Rumpelstiltskin grinned so wide she could see his yellowed molars. “Well, perhaps I shall start by teaching you like I would a youngling. Based on how that works or explodes in our face, we'll have a starting point.”

 

“Ok.” Emma replied. But he didn't move. She frowned at him in confusion.

 

“Though I regret the necessity, for that I will need my arm back.” Rumpelstiltskin said mock-seriously, his eyes dancing but also a bit confused.

 

Emma blinked and looked down to where her hand was still wrapped around his delicate wrist. Her index finger had made it underneath the edge of his sleeve and her thumb was tracing patterns on his palm. With a distressed cry she dropped his hand.

 

“Well, now. It's not that terrible to touch old Rumpelstiltskin, is it?” He looked hurt but was trying to cover it with humor. “That part of my body, I'm pretty sure, does not have any spikes.”

 

Emma shook her head. “I didn't realize I was doing it.” She rubbed her index finger with her thumb. “How could I not know that? It's like the aura- I can't control it. I don't understand.”

 

Rumpelstiltskin cocked his head to the side before he abruptly paled and froze.

 

“What?” Emma leaned forward eagerly. “You've figured it out, haven't you? What is it?”

 

Rumpelstiltskin pulled his sleeve down nervously. “How about we start with summoning fire? That's your son's favorite.” He evaded.

 

Emma frowned in confusion and annoyance, but allowed him to change the subject.

 

“So... try to follow me, then.” Rumpelstiltskin was talking very quickly, his voice almost squeaking.

 

Emma sighed but followed watched what he was doing. He was gathering his magic-aura-thing just _so_. And, since she couldn't seem to do anything about the connection, she could feel the form it was taking as well as see it. So she copied him. Rumpelstiltskin looked at her sharply, his head cocking to the side. Emma followed when he let the energy go in a weird way... it felt very strange and not right though. All the warning she got was Rumpelstiltskin's horror filled eyes as her energy blew up into a giant fireball.

 

“Whoah!” Emma jumped back and tried to wrestle the fire down, but it just _whooshed_ bigger.

 

“Emma, relax!” Rumpelstiltskin was suddenly behind her, holding onto her shoulders.

 

“Relax?!?” She barked in outrage. “How do you expect me to do that?”

 

“Emma.” He pulled her closer, causing her heart rate to ratchet up again, and not from the blazing fire, either (though the fire seemed to gleefully expand at her increase in tension). “Please, Emma, calm down. Here, trust me. I'll put it out.”

 

Emma backed up flush with him, her nerves singing in delight and her mind feeling a bit guilty for grabbing onto the excuse to do so. But it did help her get her mind off the fire. Hell, she didn't care if the whole forest burnt down, now. If only he would slide his hand down...

 

“That's right, Emma.” He purred in her ear, making it even more difficult to care at all about being burnt alive. “I've got you.”

 

Emma cleared her throat and tried to think about utterly not sexy things to avoid spinning around and pinning him to the ground. After he took care of the fire she would do so. Wait. That thought was not what she meant. Or was it? Fuck.

 

“There.” Rumpelstiltskin started to cackle. “Well. That was interesting. How did you cast before I even showed you the gestures or words?”

 

“What do you mean?” Emma asked distractedly, trying to decide if it was worth turning around and possibly letting him realize he was still flush against her or if she should just stay put. “I did what you did- you were coiling the magic up, then you let it go... which didn't feel right, but I copied that, too. Just like you said.” When he didn't way anything after that, Emma decided she was going to have to turn around. But when she did, she saw him gaping unattractively at her. “What?”

 

“Did you say... you _saw_ me gathering magic?”

 

“Well... yeah. How else was I supposed to copy you?” Emma asked in confusion.

 

Rumpelstiltskin spluttered incoherently.

 

“What's the matter with you?” She growled, annoyed that her lust was fading away into concern.

 

“You... I.... _saw it!?!?_ ” Rumpelstiltskin still wasn't making any sense.

 

“Yes, I saw it. What the hell is wrong with you?”

 

“People can't... they can't _see_ magic. That's...” Rumpelstiltskin shook his head. “That's amazing!” He breathed finally.

 

“They can't?” Emma blinked. “Then how do they use it?”

 

Rumpelstiltskin laughed delightedly. “And here I just came to ask if you mother were seriously inviting me to Henry's party! This is much better!”

 

“Oh. Well, we are seriously inviting you.” Emma replied. But this time she refused to let him change the subject. “How is this better?” She demanded; she still had zero control. Seeing her magic literally blow up in her face and gnerally being totally unruly was doing nothing but make her depressed.

 

“A whole new way of doing magic. I wonder if you can even cast real spells? Or if this intuitive thing will be the only way... if you can't do the language translation without specific effort... maybe...”

 

“ Rumpelstiltskin.” Emma snapped.

 

He immediately became silent and stiffened almost to military attention.

 

“Oh for God's sake. I didn't mean it like that. Just... tell me what you mean with all that babbling.” Emma sighed. The command thing was really very frustrating- she didn't mean to command him, that was just... how she talked. Magic was a pain in the ass.

 

“Oh.” Rumpelstiltskin slumped, rubbing an elbow with the opposite hand. “I suppose the quick version is that I will have the be ex-treem-aly careful training you.” He mused. “And perhaps invest in some protective clothing.”

 

Emma rubbed her temples in frustration. “Of course.”

 

Rumpelstiltskin looked at her, cocking his head. “You're not serious about the invitation, though.” He had obviously just parsed that part of the conversation.

 

“Henry worked it out so that you are an honored guest.” Emma chuckled. “The look on Snow's face...” She was content to let the subject drop at this point, before she got totally depressed.  
  
“Well.” Rumpelstiltskin looked nonplussed. “I was going to crash it anyway. I don't know that I like being invited.” He frowned.

 

“Henry would very much appreciate it if you could bring Red and Belle with you when you come.” Emma added.

  
“Anything for you, Master.” Rumpelstiltskin said sarcastically.

  
Emma blinked. “What, just like that? No trading for tears?”

 

“Hmm.” Rumpelstiltskin said evasively.

 

Emma looked at him suspiciously. “You have to obey my orders.” She accused. He scratched his chin. “So you had to teleport me even without a trade. You tricked me for those tears. That's... that's... something. Something not good.” She groused.

 

“Ah, a deal's a deal!” Rumpelstiltskin chittered. “Can't take it back, now.”

 

Emma snorted in amusement. “You are such a... mercenary, immoral trickster.” She said fondly.

 

Rumpelstiltskin grinned and swept into a bow. “At your service.”

 

“Hmm.” Emma eyed him as he straightened.

 

“And...” He hesitated. And fidgeted. Emma waited patiently, curious what he could be trying so hard not to say. “After the party... might you consider coming back for a visit?” He said the second part so quickly the words ran together. Emma had to sit and think through what he had said to even understand the sentence.

 

In the pause, Rumpelstiltskin continued hastily, “Belle insisted that the help would be... erm... helpful. And... well, it would be nicer to have a place to train you that is... used to containing bursts of magic.” He babbled.

 

“What, like the dungeon?” Emma asked dryly, interrupting him before he really embarrassed himself.

 

“That's just what I call it when I don't like the person I put in there.” Rumpelstiltskin giggled, a touch shrilly.

 

“Terrific.” Emma rolled her eyes. But then she looked at him. He seemed a bit nervous, twitchy... but.... “Is that a serious offer?” She echoed his earlier question.

 

Rumpelstiltskin flicked his eyes away from her, then quickly back. “Yes.” He said finally.

 

“Um. Well, then. I would love to.” Emma replied.

 

“Oh. Good.” Rumpelstiltskin looked rather stumped that she had agreed. “I will... see you at the party then.”

 

“Please don't get Henry... a dinosaur or something.” Emma said in sudden worry.

 

“Who, me?” Rumpelstiltskin asked faux-innocently. “I would never get a young princeling a full grown, saddle-trained Tyrannosaurus Rex for his birthday. Whoever do you think me?”

 

Emma growled. “I am serious. I don't want any epic battles at the party.”

 

Rumpelstiltskin giggled. “Yes, Master.” He said as he popped out of existence for a second before she could feel him again in the distance.

 

Emma sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. But she couldn't really muster the energy to be annoyed. She was grinning too broadly. The party was only in a few days... it would be good to see him... er... them. It would be good to see them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Idea for the T-rex for birthday present comes from the comic “Girls Next Door” which is on Deviant Art and totally hilarious. Jareth gets Toby one for his birthday.


	17. Fairy Tale Dinosaur

Rumpelstiltskin paced furiously in his tower room. His thoughts were a tumble of reactions and he was having the damnest time sorting them out. It certainly hadn't helped that the... upset to his curse had jumbled all his ability to control those emotions. What was his? What was its? What the hell was Emma thinking!?!

 

He pulled at his hair in annoyance, growling to himself.

 

The damned woman had no idea how powerful she was, either in her magic or the way she... affected him. Her casual speaking of seeing magic- he didn't know whether the fact that he could hardly think about it without climbing the walls was because of his raging jealousy, his fear, or how incredibly hot that made her.

 

He scrubbed his face with his hands, trying to get that last thought out of his mind. No one could love him: look how pathetic and cowardly he was... no one had for hundreds of years... no one from this world should be able to! The curse... that should have made it impossible even if they somehow looked past his original personality. Any one from this world would see his skin and  _ know _ how dark and dangerous and  _ evil  _ he was. True Love (broken, as an antagonist) can only create evil, not exist in evil.

 

No one in this world... which was sort of the catch, wasn't it? Emma wasn't from this world. Not really. Not anymore.

 

He picked up random items, books, scrolls, bits of feather and bone. Rearranging them and giggling nervously to himself. He knew the signs, though. Emma... obviously didn't. But... auras merging? Not realizing she was touching him? He gulped and traced the path her thumb had taken on his palm, shuddering. That was... that was... he closed his eyes, gulping. That must be True Love... he had seen it enough times to know.

 

She had seen him realize it. Of course she had. He hadn't been able to keep the expression on his face and he had felt himself  _ freezing.  _ He had felt less horror when those damn guards had found him and made him kiss their boots. This... he looked down at his hands and saw the phoenix feather was hopelessly shredded. It was worth nothing now. He dropped it desolately.

 

But it couldn't be... obviously. The curse must have... mixed something up inside her, magically. If he taught her, they could fix it. The thought made his chest feel like it was full of ice shards, but it would have to be done. And better to do here... she could go to her friends when she realized that she was touching a monster because of a curse. Well, in all likelihood, two curses. Jumping into something designed to cross to a dimension without the True Love magic and general lack of Happy Endings... well, that would almost twist her inside  _ worse _ than a curse that merely corrupted with power.

 

Rumpelstiltskin clutched at his chest, but that didn't make the clawing inside him lessen. He wrapped his arms around himself, pacing. That helped a little... he hopped in place, trying to settle the cold feeling in his stomach. No luck.

 

“It's not real, it's not real, it's not real.” He repeated to himself. It was never real.

 

He could feel the edges of the curse lapping at his emotions. Telling him to kill her before she could hurt him, reminding him of how weak he was, powerless, she could strip that from him again. Get the dagger back- plunge it into her heart!

 

Rumpelstiltskin painstakingly peeled those thoughts off of his own, feeling the familiar ripping sensation as bits of him went with it and parts of it stayed. The curse kept getting away from him, but he had hundreds of years experience. If only he wasn't so unsettled...

 

Take her, then. The curse abruptly switched tactics as he unwove the ideas of murder. If he just took his pleasure from her, he would sate these foolish tendencies  _ and _ cure her of this false-thing she was feeling. She would see that he was truly a monster and the curse would break. Rumpelstiltskin stilled. This line of thought was much more persuasive, especially when he remembered her touching him- her hand on his wrist, her body pressed up against his as she retreated to his protection... 

 

He swayed, closing his eyes, allowing himself a brief moment to revel in it. Dangerous, so dangerous... the curse could easily take hold of him if he let it go much longer. But he had clawed up from its influence many times, now. It was hard, lately, but that only meant it took longer than his usual near-instant response.

 

He panted as he finally shut the curse-thoughts down. For now, anyway. And he knew that it wasn't just the curse. He wanted her so badly. He was... so... lonely. Had been for so long. Belle and Red helped, but soon they would grow old and die. But even for now, they weren't really enough. Belle's claims to have loved him had made him hope again, and it was so, so hard to stop that emotion. It had taken decades to crush it before.

 

“I don't think I'll last that long.” He whispered to himself, shivering. Maybe Emma would kill him, once he cured her? That would be best... yes, definitely best. She could kill him and not be cursed herself, he was sure. He would just have to make sure she knew how to do it well enough to not mess up in the heat of the moment.

 

Emma would be cured, able to find an actual True Love, not have the magic twist inside her like it was, Bella and Red could have the castle... yes. “Happily Ever After.” Rumpelstiltskin intoned dully.

 

OoOOoooOOOOOO

 

Henry's party was, unsurprisingly, a huge affair. The whole kingdom it seemed like had showed for the banquet. And, despite the polite and political (but still firm) request that no foreign dignitaries would come, there were many from other lands as well.

 

“Wow, look at all these people!”

 

“Belle!” Emma smiled, turning to see her friend. Well, friends. Red was beside her, holding a wrapped bundle under her arm, just peaking out from under the red cloak. And Rumpelstiltskin was a bit aways, his hands twirling as he talked with a middle-aged woman. “Is he trying to make a deal at a party?” She asked incredulously.

 

“Oh, er... probably.” Belle admitted. “That woman looks like she might be a weaver and we are in dire need of curtains.”

 

“Curtains?” Emma asked, blinking.

 

“There are some really massive windows, and Rumple keeps complaining about the sunlight.” Belle explained.

 

Emma shook her head. “Whatever.” She laughed. “It's good to see you both! You are settling in well?”

 

“Oh, yes.” Belle grinned happily.

 

Red snorted. “He's a lot of work.”

 

“Oh, Red!” Belle laughed. “Rumple said that he invited you?”

 

“Yes. I'm looking forward to it.”

 

“Oh.” Belle frowned, looking stumped. “He said that you were probably going to cancel.”

 

“He did?” Emma blinked. “Why would he say that?”

 

“Because he's delusional, probably.” Red rolled her eyes. “Or something. I swear he goes from elated to angry to depressed to hanging from the ceiling- literally, mind you, all within the span of a breath.”

 

“Not quite that quickly...” Belle argued weakly.

 

“That's... odd.” Emma muttered. She had noticed him blipping from one topic to the next when they had been talking, changing his mind for reasons she couldn't fathom.

 

“He seems generally happier since he came to talk to you.” Bell shrugged. “But also more volatile. Maybe he'll figure out whatever it is that's bothering him during your visit.”

 

“I hope so.” Emma looked over at him and saw him tense as her eyes landed on him, making her frown. He scurried away into the crowd without coming over to say hello. “I... don't really understand what he could be thinking.” She mused, feeling a bit worried.

 

“Oh, well...” Belle shrugged nervously.

 

“Hey, what am I supposed to do about this?” Red lifted the present slightly.

 

“We're going to have a smaller party once this one has started to roll a bit more. Once people are drunk enough and finished dinner we're going to say Henry is 'tired' and then give him the family presents.” Emma smiled. She flagged down a servant and instructed them to take it to the private room. “In the meantime, let's enjoy ourselves. The food should be... well.” Emma scratched the back of her neck. “There's some that's more from our world over there.” She pointed to a table swarming with people. “And then more traditional stuff over there.” She pointed to a much less crowded table with a swan on it.

 

“Oh, my.” Belle's eyes were wide. “Did them make... the creamed ice?”

 

“Ice cream?” Emma grinned. “Oh, yeah. That's not out yet, though. I think hot dogs, hamburgers and pizza.”

 

Red looked at her lover in shock as the usually demure woman groaned out loud. Red turned to Emma, eyes wide. “Merciful magic- what is in this other world's food?”

 

“Just lots of things that are completely unhealthy and taste great. A recipe for mouth-gasms and gaining weight.” Emma grinned.

 

“Mouth.... gasms?” Red looked somewhere between amused and... no, she mostly just looked amused.

 

“Oh yeah. Go have a slice of peperoni. That's the kind bread with cheese and sauce on it and little round bits of meat.” Emma laughed.

 

Red smirked, her pointy canines glinting in the light. “Absolutely.” She dragged Belle over to the table, glaring at the assembled people and somehow making them move out of the way. 'Somehow' likely translating in this instant to bad-assery associated with being part-wolf.

 

Emma looked for Rumpelstiltskin but didn't see him. She frowned in disappointment. Why was he avoiding her? He hadn't even bothered her yet. Was it something she said before? Maybe whatever had made him go white? But what could it be? She scanned the crowd again unhappily. But for a half-lizard he was adept at blending into the crowd. She sighed. At least he should show up for the private party.

 

OOOOOOOoooOOO

 

“Well. At least we don't have to worry about people getting upset that we ditched the party early.” Emma said wryly.

 

“Emma, please try to not make flippant comments at a time like this!” Snow snapped at her daughter, clearly having a mini freak out.

 

Emma, however, really couldn't help but be amused. They were standing in a small bubble of calm surrounded by screaming people fleeing the party. Well, more accurately, fleeing the dragon that had flown down, sniffed around a bit then started eating all the hot dogs.

 

Emma sighed and rolled her shoulders. “Well, I'll go take care of it then, shall I? I did want another hot dog.”

 

“Emma. Be. Serious!” Snow hissed in a very good mom-voice.

 

“I _am_ being serious. I've taken down three just like this one, if you recall.” Emma snapped back. “Let me go talk to it- maybe we can send it on its way with a doggie bag.”

 

“We are _not_ feeding it any of the hounds.” Snow snapped.

 

“What?” Emma blinked.

 

“She means with some food for its travels.” Rumpelstiltskin supplied. He was watching her with a gleam in his golden eyes. Seeing as it was the only time he had looked at her all evening, she'd take it. Now if only she didn't have to go off to deal with the dragon.

 

“Right. I meant some pizza or something.” Emma sighed and moved closer to the dragon, stretching herself out towards it and feeling for its language blip. With Rumpelstiltskin so close, she was getting odd pull towards him, but it almost seemed to make her able to project _further_ than usual, so she tried to ignore the connection. Since it wouldn't do her any good to try to stop or break it.

 

“Good!” The dragon bugled, gulping down an entire plate of cheeseburgers.

 

“Hello...” Emma said slowly.

 

The dragon whipped around and eyed her. “Crunchy Dark One Consort?” It asked.

 

Emma winced at the title... she wished! Well, not the 'crunchy' part, obviously. “Well, yes, I suppose that is me.” She allowed.

 

The dragon dropped the tray and turned fully around, bowing its head low. “Please to make dragon also consort?”

 

“Um... what?” Emma blinked.

 

The dragon whined. “Other consorts not want this one. This one smells of Dark One.”

 

“O...k... so what?” Emma shrugged.

 

“Cannot go to territory, cannot joint new nest... starving!” It whimpered, crawling forward low on its belly. “Dark One try to kill this one. Why Dark One not understand this one?” It looked at her with (she was assuming) an attempt at a cute face.

 

“Oh, boy.” Emma rubbed her forehead. She looked over at Rumpelstiltskin. “Hey... has this dragon been bothering you?” she asked him.

 

Rumpelstiltskin gave her another intense, unreadable look. “I can't say that it was that one, in particular, but I have been accosted more frequently of late by that breed.”

 

Emma turned back to the dragon. “I'm the only one that can understand you. I think.”

 

The dragon's head tilted so far to the side it was almost upside down. “Dark One cannot speak like consort can?!?”

 

“Apparently.” Emma shrugged.

 

“Consort speak to Dark One for this one?” It asked hopefully.

 

“Er...” She looked back at Rumpelstiltskin. “It wants to...” Emma couldn't finish the statement.

 

“It wants to what?” Rumpelstiltskin asked, his eyes gleaming.

 

“Well... do you have space in your castle for it?” Emma thought about that for a second. “And enough to feed it?”

 

Rumpelstiltskin said nothing for several moments. “Emma.” He choked out finally. “Are you taming me a dragon?”

 

Emma scratched the back of her head. “I think so?”

 

Rumpelstiltskin  _ vibrated _ with barely contained energy, lifting his hands to steeple in front of his face and making a keening sound into them, dancing a bit in place before he got ahold of himself. “You realize it's  _ Henry's _ birthday party, not mine?” He grinned, eyes flashing.

 

“I am NOT letting my son keep a full grown dragon.” Emma said flatly.

 

“Thank Goodness she has some sense.” Snow muttered.

 

Emma ignored her. “So, I take it that is a yes?” Emma asked Rumpelstiltskin.

  
“Oh, yes! Yes yes yes yes yes!” Rumpelstiltskin danced forward, looking like he was barely holding himself back from jumping on her. Emma really wished that  _ now _ was not when his self-control kicked in. She could do with less odd noises and more glomping. She sighed. 

 

The imp came up to the moping dragon, touching it on the scaly nose. “I have set it to the wards- it can roost in the West Tower.”

 

Emma snorted. “Isn't that where you should keep the magical rose?” She muttered to herself. No one else got the reference, of course- Disney. West Wings and enchanted roses were one of those topics the curse kept them from thinking about. “Nevermind.” She translated the information from Rumpelstiltskin for the dragon.

 

“Eternal thanks, Dark One.” The dragon hissed. It looked mournfully at the food. “This one can have the rest of the food pebbles?”

 

Emma looked at the table of food mournfully. It was covered in dragon slobber. “Sure, why not.” She turned back to her family. “Well... its going to eat the rest of the food then fly to Rumpelstiltskin's castle.” She wiped her hands against each other in satisfaction. “So... presents?”

 

“There are no words right now.” Charming sighed.

 

“I think the ones you are looking for are 'amazing, unbelievably fantastic'.” Rumpelstiltskin said, looking at Emma so intensely that she shivered. He lifted a hand and caught hers in his, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. “Thank you very much, Emma.” He breathed out her name and Emma felt a little bit faint.

 

“Yes, presents! Excellent idea!” Snow broke in. “Let's get inside.” She pulled the two of them apart and pushed Emma in front of her.

 

OoOoOoOOOOOOO

 

Emma tried to get back to where Rumpelstiltskin was, but her mother deftly pressed her daughter's present for Henry into her hand and directed her to give the first gift.

 

“Emma! What is is!” Henry asked, bouncing up and down.

 

Emma smiled and held out the round object wrapped in paper. “Open it up, kid.”

 

“Alright!” Henry beamed and took the parcel. “Wow, it's heavy!” He noted. He ripped the paper off gleefully, shredding it away from a metal shield. It had red and white rings around a white star on a blue field in the center. Henry turned it around before laughing in delight. “Does it absorb sound?” Henry asked, grinning.

 

“You bet, kid. I had the elven blacksmith work that in. And, once you are stronger... it can be thrown.” Emma was glad he recognized it. She was just the Storybrooke-haze hadn't extended to American comic books.

 

“Emma, what is the significance of the markings?” Snow asked.

 

“It's Captain America's shield!” Henry crowed. He slipped his arm into the bindings and tried to stand. “Man, it's heavy!”

 

“You're just weak.” Emma teased.

 

Henry pouted at her.

 

“No, once you figure out how to get it to like you, it should become really light. That's what the blacksmith said, anyway.”

 

“Wow.” Henry smiled. “Thanks, Emma!”

 

“You bet, kid.” She grinned. She tried to sidle up to Rumpelstiltskin to try to figure out why he was being even more flighty than usual, but he always managed to be on the other side of the room. Snow looked pleased at that.

 

“And here's our present.” Belle handed Henry a large book- one that looked almost identical to the one he had had in Storybrooke. “It's not the one you had... this one is empty. But it has the same enchantment on it.”

 

“A spying magic?” Charming asked warily.

 

“Not at all.” Rumpelstiltskin grinned. “An... auto-fill.”

 

“What is that supposed to mean?” Charming frowned.

 

“Well.” Belle said to Henry. “When you talk to the book about things that are happening to you, it will fill in from your memory.”

 

“That is mind arts.” Snow gasped.

 

Belle looked up at the other woman. “It's harmless, see- I've already put in the first entry.” She pointed down to the Intro- which described use of the book.

 

“Who says it is harmless?” Snow looked at Rumpelstiltskin suspiciously. “Him?”

 

“I would never do anything to harm Henry.” Rumpelstiltskin said flatly.

 

Snow narrowed her eyes at him.

 

“What a lovely gift.” Emma broke in on the tension.

 

“Yeah, thanks Belle!” Henry said hastily. “I'll tell it about the dragon at my birthday party tonight.” He looked down at it then back up. “Does it do illustrations, too?”

 

“You bet.” Red grinned.

 

“Awesome.” Henry grinned.

 

“Are you not giving him anything?” Emma asked Rumpelstiltskin. She felt the need to point out that Belle and Red's gift was not from him, too. Unless it was? But they should still be pretending they didn't live with him. She didn't want her parents going from grudgingly tolerant to actively dissuading tonight.

 

“Oh, I already owe Henry a favor.” He giggled. “Don't I?”

 

“Well, yeah. But that's not the point of a birthday.” Henry wrinkled his nose.

 

“Ah, well. Your mother vetoed the saddle-trained Tyrannosaur.” Rumpelstiltskin said in a mock-seriously tone.

 

“Emma!” Henry yelled. “Why did you do that?!”

 

Emma put her face in her hand. “Henry, you can't have a dinosaur.”

 

“What's a dinosaur?” Red asked.

 

“A wingless dragon, more or less.” Rumpelstiltskin said helpfully.

 

“Yeah, but _cooler_.” Henry pouted.

 

“Well, I did make you a little something.” Rumpelstiltskin allowed. He handed Henry a whistle.

 

“What is it?” Henry asked, turning it over in his hand.

 

“An ocarina.” Rumpelstiltskin said.

 

Henry held the little instrument to his chest and looked at the imp with wide eyes. “Can it play Epona's song?” Henry asked breathlessly.

 

“Indeed. To go along with your grandparents' present.” Rumpelstiltskin grinned. “Oh, please do go ahead and use it inside.”

 

“No, do not!” Snow snapped. She looked a little confused as to what “Epona's song” might be, but she knew that the Fresian she had given Henry was _not_ coming inside the castle.

 

Rumpelstiltskin giggled and danced away from the irate Queen.

 

“What does an instrument have to do with the horse we gave Henry?” Charming asked, puzzled.

 

“It _summons_ them!” Henry exclaimed.

  
“Don't go using the weather too much, dearie, or you'll ruin the crops.” Rumpelstiltskin chittered.

 

Henry's grin was so large it really was ear-to-ear. “Woohoo!” He started to blow into it.

 

“That's probably not a good idea...” Emma said. Too late. Flowers and leaves started to spring up from the floor at the jaunty tune Henry was playing. “Well... hmm.” She looked down at the magic swirling at the floorboards, grinning. It was like a mix between stage smoke and the Aurora Borealis.

 

“Can you see it?” Rumpelstiltskin asked. She didn't move for fear he would run away again.

 

“Yeah, it's beautiful.” She looked at him out of the corner of her eye. He looked sad, somehow. She frowned in confusion. But soon enough that grinning mask was back in place.

 

“Only because your boy is playing it, I presume.” He shook his head. “Well, that and I stole it from Geppetto.” He cackled.

 

“You didn't!” Emma gasped.

 

“Well, the wood.” Rumpelstiltskin admitted. “The man chopped down the last enchanted tree, you know. I stole a branch for the seeds, originally, but there was enough for a little whistle.”

 

Emma shook her head.

 

“We'll be leaving soon.” Rumpelstiltskin's voice was oddly flat. Emma chanced looking at him fully. As she feared he moved off when she did.

 

“Alright.” Emma sighed to his retreating back. She moved over to Henry, who was playing with some of his presents, having opened the last of them. “Hey, kid- how's the birthday turning out?”

 

“Are you kidding? I'm a prince! In a fairytale! I have... items!” He grinned so wide his eyes closed.

 

Emma laughed. “Well, good.” She ruffled his hair, causing him to protest. “Well, I'm going on a trip with Red and Belle tonight.”

 

“Oh!” Henry's eyes lit up. “For Operation: Viper?”   
  


Emma looked at him oddly. “You know that Rumpelstiltskin is free, right?”

 

“Oh, it's an evolving tactical scenario.” Henry said seriously.

 

“O... k...” Emma raised an eyebrow.

 

“Well, have fun. The place is probably a wreck, huh?” Henry wrinkled his nose. “Did you tell Snow?”

 

“Well, sort of.” Emma waffled.

 

Henry grinned. “I'll cover for you.” He gave her the thumbs up.

 

“Thanks... but I figure she'll just get you to spill the beans tomorrow.” Emma sighed. “Tell her I'm fine, will you?”

 

“Ok.” Henry agreed. “I don't think she'll listen.”

 

“Yeah, well.” Emma shrugged. “I should be back in a few days. If not, it's because Rumpelstiltskin has locked me in a dungeon.” She joked.

 

“Uh huh.” Henry looked at his mother skeptically. “You know he's definitely going to do that, right? I mean, it wouldn't be a visit to his house if he put you in the _guest room_.”

 

“Come on, kid. Rumpelstiltskin's not going to lock me in the dungeon.” Emma scoffed. “Well, unless...” She trailed off. Maybe it would be a good idea- there was a lot of magic where he lived, presumably.

 

“Unless what?”

 

“Unless I let him.” Emma concluded, poking her son on the nose fondly.

 

“Well, if you say so, Emma.” Henry shrugged. Adults did some weird stuff...

 

“Yeah. I say so.” Emma muttered. But she kind of had a feeling she wouldn't have much choice. She leaned over and kissed her son on the top of his head. “Happy Birthday, kid.” She smiled at him fondly. “When I get back, I expect things to be relatively normal. No calling storms and blazing sun or whatever with Rumpelstiltskin's present.”

 

“Ok.” Henry grinned.

 

“I mean it.” Emma laughed. “No more than five times each.”

 

“Ok, Emma.” Henry giggled. “I won't.”

 

“Good.” She ruffled his hair.

 

“Have fun. And you have to tell the story to my book when you get back.” Henry held up the leather bound tome significantly.

 

“Deal.” Emma smiled.

 

“Don't say that so lightly.” Henry frowned.

 

“Oh, I'm not saying it lightly.” Emma assured him. She waved and retreated out of the room. Her parents were already summoning the servants to get Henry ready for bed. They wouldn't miss her. Rumpelstiltskin was waiting, oddly still and quiet, in the hallway. He had her travel bag in one hand, holding it limply with only his last two fingers, making it look a lot lighter than Emma knew it actually was.

 

“Ready?” He asked.

 

“Sure.” Emma walked up to him slowly, not sure if he was going to bolt or not, really not understanding what was going on in his head.

 

“You will need to be very close to me for the transport.” Rumpelstiltskin sighed.

 

“Ok.” Emma frowned in confusion. What was up with him. He wasn't even looking at her. Well, he didn't have to tell her twice. She walked up to him, snaking an arm around his waist and liking how it made his nostrils flare. His eyes were on her now, and Emma smiled. “Is this close enough?” She asked. He shook his head and Emma grinned. She pulled with her arm as she pressed forward. Their hips came flush together, the lines of their bodies fitting perfectly together. Rumpelstiltskin sucked in a breath and Emma could see the skin of his neck darkening to a red-brown in front of her. “How about now?” She asked, deliberately letting the breath from the question brush his pebbled skin, which became even more textured as it broke into goosebumps.

 

“Yes, fine.” Rumpelstiltskin squeaked.

 

The chaotic taste-touch-feel of transport hit so quickly that Emma didn't even have any time to properly savor the smug feeling nor the feeling of  _ rightness _ the contact was giving her. Pity.

%MCEPASTEBIN%

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a reference to Stargate: Universe in this chapter. Red calls Rumple “a lot of work” which is how COL Young described Carlyle's character Dr. Rush.


	18. Get Thee to a Nunnery

The way her senses were merged together did not fade- she could now feel Rumpelstiltskin against her, see the entry of the castle, but she could also  _ taste _ these things as well, and there was a ringing in her ears... or was it, a smell? A color?

 

Emma swayed in confusion, clutching onto the leather of Rumpelstiltskin's jacket.

 

_BROKEN!_

 

Something was screaming at her, swirling into her thoughts, her mouth felt yellow, her fingers trembled with cinnamon.

 

Emma's self spun out, bleeding into the surroundings. It all was familiar- it felt of him and she coiled into it, into his magic, everywhere- so bright/green-gold/citrus-flavored/sharp.

 

“Emma!” Rumpelstiltskin's voice snapped against her head, making her list to the side and sneeze. Why were his words in her nose? He sounded panicked, and Emma vaguely tried to comfort him, but she couldn't seem to form words.

 

She almost threw up when the almost-right sensations of sight and touch spun wildly. She was peripherally aware that she had been flung over a shoulder. There were spikes digging into her belly, and she felt red. Wait... that didn't seem right.

 

The relief she felt when they passed into the dungeon was instant and more than welcome. Emma groaned happily as Rumpelstiltskin gently laid her down on a pile of straw and went to close the door. With the click of the lock engaging, Emma sighed in relief. She could almost feel her edges again, and the straw smelled comfortable. Wait... no... felt orange. “Damn it.” She growled.

 

“Emma.” Rumpelstiltskin came over to her, kneeling beside the straw pile. “Are you alright?”

 

Emma rubbed her eyes with her hands... nearly missing as she moved her arms and ending up growling at nothing.

 

“Emma?” Rumpelstiltskin sounded extremely worried and he caught one of her hands in his, his fingers sliding over her skin as he sought a grip to keep her from flailing, the color like pepper. No... sensation. Something.

 

“I think I've acquired a mental disorder.” Emma blinked and tried to get her senses to play nice.

 

Rumpelstiltskin swallowed nervously. “Which one, love?”

 

“The smelling sound thing.” Emma sighed. She let her arm lay in Rumpelstiltskin's lap, where he was absently running his fingers up her wrist and over her palm. She deliberately did not look at it, afraid he would stop. It felt pudding. Er... good, rather. Comforting.

 

“I am sorry.” Rumpelstiltskin said finally. “I should have arrived us outside of the wards. I didn't know it would affect you this badly.”

 

“It's peach.” Emma frowned at the worried look on his face. “It's a good smell? No... um... the color... wait.” Emma shook her head. Rumpelstiltskin held onto her hand in tight desperation. “I mean, it's okay.” She grit out finally. “What happened? The taste-touch-smell thing only lasted during the transport last time.”

 

Rumpelstiltskin sighed. “The wards here are... broken.” He smiled wryly. “Were broken, anyway... I think you fixed a good deal of them.” He was twiddling with something on her wrist, and Emma caught a flash of dandelion smell. It was a thin string of gold that he was tying into a bracelet.

 

“Oh.” Emma blinked. “I don't feel very well.” She noted.

 

“I wouldn't imagine you do.” He finished the knot and released her arm, making her sigh in disappointment. He reached a hesitant finger along her forehead, which soothed some of the headache beginning to build behind her eyes. “I do believe you nearly drained yourself dry. I made those wards over centuries, supplied by many, many deals. You tried to side-step the entirety of magical... physics, for lack of a better word... the rules of use, anyway. You tried to fix everything in an instant.”

 

“It was broken.” Emma said weakly.

 

“I know.” Rumpelstiltskin sat back on his haunches, his hands dangling between his knees. Emma wanted to pull him to her and have him hold her- it had helped with the headache, but now she was feeling nauseous. “I didn't realize your control was that poor.”

 

Emma glared at him, but that made her headache spike worse. She groaned. “At least you are still yourself.” She muttered, curling into a miserable ball and feeling straw stabbing at her wherever she had cloth rather than leather. Which was in some unfortunate places...

 

“There, now. We'll get you better.” Rumpelstiltskin said, his voice softer than she had ever heard it. He ran his hand over her head again, driving away the last of the headache. And his hand moved under her jaw, tracing around her neck and soothing the urge to vomit. Then it trailed over her shoulder, down her spine, circling her lower back until she no longer felt like someone was stabbing her in the stomach. With the pain receding his touch started to send heat pooling in her lower abdomen. She was too tired to do anything about it, though. Especially since she didn't think he would accept it if she did jump him.

 

Emma choked back a sob, feeling better, but still miserable.

 

“Emma, Emma, love- it will be alright. Just rest in here.” Rumpelstiltskin cooed. He bent over and placed a kiss on her forehead, sending shock shooting through her whole body. “Sleep, dearest. You will feel better in the morning.”

 

Emma found she couldn't really speak. Which of the many emotions, feelings or shocks was the cause for it she didn't know. But she did feel herself slipping inexorably into sleep. “I don't want to be alone.” Her half-awake mind murmured. Out loud? She didn't know.

 

“The gold will let me know if you have need of me.” Rumpelstiltskin said in parting.

 

Emma sighed, but soon she was unconscious and not worried about anything anymore.

 

OOOoOOOOOOOOO

 

“You can't leave Emma in the dungeon!” Belle protested hotly.

 

“I can do as I wish, dearie.” Rumpelstiltskin sneered back, closing the door with a firm hand and twisting a key in the lock.

 

“This is... it's... _inhospitable_.” 

 

“Oh, ex-cuuu-se me!” Rumpelstiltskin rolled his eyes. “She agreed to come, she didn't make any mention of specific a-commendations.” He looked distracted, but pleased to be arguing.

 

“You know that's not fair!” Belle growled. She narrowed her eyes at him. Obviously he wanted an argument.

 

“Oho! The puppy shows her teeth!” He giggled. “She stays in there and that's final.” And with that he moved quickly off, rubbing his face with a hand .

 

“Well, I never!” Belle huffed. He had wanted to argue... but had left just like that? And what was with the _key?_ He never used the physical locks, always closing doors with magic. Which was amusing as hell when he ended up surprised that she had been able to get into rooms he had 'secured'. 

 

“Relax.” Red laughed. “It's not so bad in there. Let him have his fun. Emma will kick the crap out of him later.”

 

“We invited her and now he sticks her in that room.” Belle grumbled. “It's not right.”

 

“Yes, well. Emma knows how he is. I don't hear her banging on the door. She will probably be fine.”

 

“Fine!” Belle huffed. “How fine can she be locked up?”

 

“Would you like me to show you how fine that can be?” Red purred, moving closer to her lover.

  
“Oh.” Belle squeaked. “Oh... my...” Her eyes lit up in interest. “Really?”

 

“Oh, yes.” Red grinned toothily.

 

“I'm feeling rather like going to bed all of a sudden.” Belle noted.

 

Red laughed lowly, trotting after Belle, who was practically skipping up the steps to their bedroom.

 

OoOoOoOoOOOOO

 

Belle's tongue escaped her mouth as she twisted the lockpicks around. She heard one tumbler clunk into place and she grinned, feeling around for the next one. “Aha!” She crowed. Take that! Using a skill Rumpelstiltskin had taught her against him was truly delightful. Why he needed to pick locks when he never seemed to use them and could teleport she wasn't sure, but she had been eager to learn. The castle had been  _ boring _ with just the two of them, especially when he left her alone for days at a time.

 

Belle twisted the handle and swung open the door, grinning triumphantly.

 

“Morning, Belle. I don't suppose you have some breakfast?” Emma asked politely.

 

“What, no!” Belle scowled. This being-a-hero thing was working... oddly.

 

“You're not going to feed me?” Emma asked in surprise. “Wow, ok... I figured I'd at least get bread and water.”

 

“Of course we are going to feed you!” Belle put her hands on her hips in annoyance. “I'm busting you out of here.”

 

“Oh, that's quite alright. I'm fine here.” Emma flopped back down onto the pile of straw, yawning.

 

“But... but... there's not even a _bed_.” Belle protested.

 

“All the beds here are basically piles of straw. What do I care if this one isn't suspended above the ground and isn't in a bag?” Emma asked.

 

Belle just looked at Emma, flummoxed.

 

“It does look like there is plumbing, however, so that's certainly a step up.” Emma looked in approval at the small hole in the far corner. “Or... something like plumbing anyway.”

 

“Well... ok... but...” Belle stuttered.

 

“Food?” Emma asked hopefully, her stomach growling audibly.

 

“Well, alright.” Belle frowned. “I'll whip you up something.” She turned and left the cell, closing but not locking the door behind her. She made her way to the kitchen, scratching her head. Her jaw literally dropped open at the sight the greeted her. Rumpelstiltskin was cooking a massive, delicious looking breakfast. “Well...hmm.” That was not like him. “That looks pretty good.” She noted.

 

“Oh, good morning, dearie.” Rumpelstiltskin glanced at her over his shoulder. “Would you like some, too? There might be a bit left over.”

 

Belle felt her anger spiking suddenly. “A bit? You never eat much.”

 

Rumpelstiltskin blinked at her. “Oh... this isn't for me.”

 

“Red's not transformed... she can't eat all this either.” Belle stated in confusion. While her lover did devour whole deer after/during 'having a wolfy moment' as she called it, at other times, she didn't eat much at all.

 

“It's for Emma.” Rumpelstiltskin stated, as if that were the most obvious thing in the world.

 

“Oh.” Belle frowned.

 

“Is she coming?” He asked her nastily.

 

“No.” Belle sniffed. “She refused to come out.”

 

He looked relieved, which Belle added to the list of 'very confusing things' from this morning. “Excellent. I take it you left it unlocked, then?” He grinned happily, hoisting the huge platter of eggs, meat, toast... was that the last of their jam?! He whisked by her without further word. Belle turned to the remaining scraps and sighed. She gathered them up to make a meal for herself and Red.

 

OoOOoOoOoooOO

 

“Emma, good morning!” Rumpelstiltskin inched into the room, twitching between grinning and trying to crouch and hide, the result almost toppling the food. He quickly set it down on the stump that served as a table in the cell.

 

Emma's eyes grew wide as she saw the spread. She groaned in appreciation. “Oh, my God. I am so hungry... you are amazing; I think I love you!” She dove into the food ravenously, missing Rumpelstiltskin's freezing at the 'L' word and his trembling. By the time she had devoured an omelet and half a loaf of toast with jam, he had gotten a hold of himself.

 

“I am glad you didn't leave.” Rumpelstiltskin said finally.

 

“Why would I leave?” Emma said after swallowing a large bite.

 

Rumpelstiltskin looked away. “People do that.” He sighed.

 

Emma looked at him oddly. “Well... I probably would have passed out again, right?”

 

“Maybe. You would not have been so disoriented and you would have been somewhat prepared.” Rumpelstiltskin replied.

  
“Hmm.” She eyed him. “Want some of this?”

 

He shook his head. “You will need it. You repaired most of the castle. You need to replenish your stores.”

 

Emma nodded in agreement. “I haven't been this hungry ever. Not even when I was pregnant.” She sighed. “I guess I know why you and Regina were so slim.” She smiled wryly.

 

Rumpelstiltskin watched her put away almost all of the meal in silence.

 

“Well, ok. So- can you teach me some control before I go out there?” Emma asked. “And here- I'm stuffed to the gills.” She held out two eggs, some meat and toast to him. “I saved this for you.”

 

“You shouldn't have.” Rumpelstiltskin sighed, but he slid forward and accepted the meal.

 

“At least I didn't do anything with your curse, right?” Emma said finally.

 

“Hmm.”

 

“I didn't did I?” Emma asked more urgently.

 

“No.” Rumpelstiltskin put down the empty plate- wiped clean of even traces of food.

 

“Jesus. You should have said you were so hungry. Here, have some more.” Emma pushed the remains over to him.

 

“It's alright. I'm just tired.” He sighed.

 

“Yeah, I can tell. You're acting rather Gold-like.” Emma replied.

 

“Gold-like?” Rumpelstiltskin asked, quirking an eyebrow.

 

“You know, not hanging from the ceiling, giggling for no reason, singing off-key.” Emma shrugged.

 

Rumpelstiltskin grinned at that. “Well, dearest, you seem to have worn me out rather thoroughly last night.”

 

Emma's eyebrows shot up. Had he really just said that?

 

Rumpelstiltskin winced and turned away from her slightly. “Well... I did have to keep your soul from completely unraveling, after all.” He muttered.

  
“That can happen?” Emma asked in shock and horror.

 

“Oh, yes.” Rumpelstiltskin replied. “You are most lucky that you have only been inside enchanted buildings which have had their upkeep. Though the fact that this one is saturated in my aura as well as broken likely didn't help matters...” He added almost to himself.

 

“Why would that matter? Because I have your dagger?” Emma asked in confusion, patting her thigh where the dagger was safely strapped.

 

Rumpelstiltskin blinked at her, before he suddenly stiffened. “That bond... yes.” He said vaguely, leading Emma to look at him suspiciously. “Speaking of, that is a good place to start.”  
  
“How do you figure?” Emma asked suspiciously.

 

“If you can control how you interact with my aura, then you should be able to control how you interact with other things.”

 

“But I can't stop... interacting with you.” Emma said slowly. “How will that help?”

 

“Most people are in contact with each other all the time. But few of them are magically inclined. And those with magic powers chose not to use them when we do. You, for some reason, do not have that inhibition. If you can refrain from muddling with my aura on purpose, then you can feel confident leaving the room.”

 

“Well, alright.” Emma agreed. It did sound reasonable.

 

“Alright then.” Rumpelstiltskin went to the door and locked it, leaving the key in so that it could not be unlocked from the outside. “So, now that you are locked in with the monster, let's begin.” He grinned at her mischievously.

 

“Uh huh.” Emma eyed him warily, before shrugging and focusing on her feel of him. Like she was coming to expect, they were twined together and blurred at the edges. So Emma took a bit of her closer to the center of herself and sent it skimming along his edges.

 

Rumpelstiltskin burst into laughter.

 

Emma looked up, startled.

 

“Sorry.” He giggled. “It tickles.”

 

Emma tilted her head. “Yeah?” She hmmed thoughtfully. Her 'finger' hit a familiar bump, and she was surprised she hadn't been touching it before. She connected with his language node and looked up at him. “Say something.” She ordered.

 

“Like what?” Rumpelstiltskin looked at her, head cocked. His voice did sound different. She wondered if she sounded different to him.

 

“Anything you want to say.” Emma shrugged.

  
“Emma... you are speaking Scottish, did you know that?” Rumpelstiltskin asked- his own accent very American.

 

“Oooh... this is very weird.” Emma replied. “Am I really speaking it or are you hearing it that way? How does the aura-translation thing work?”

 

“You... you finally decided to connect our languages?” Rumpelstiltskin laughed. “How fascinating. What do I sound like?”

 

“Like you are from New York. I don't like it.” Emma admitted.

 

“Well, you sound wonderful, hon.”

 

Emma gagged. “Ok, that's enough of that.” She dropped the connection hastily, looking at the twinkle in his eye. “You did that on purpose!” She accused.

 

Rumpelstiltskin put a hand over his heart, opened his mouth in fake shock and looked at her with overly large eyes. “I would never!” He protested, giggling.

 

“Hmph.” Emma tried to forget ever hearing him without his sexy lilt. Er... characteristic. Yes. She sighed. “What am I supposed to be doing?”

 

Rumpelstiltskin smirked at her. “Of course you would have no idea.” He rolled his shoulders. “Well, I will start a spell, but not actually cast it. Try to feel what it is, but not cast it, either. That way, you can separate your 'feeling' from your 'doing' so far as spell-work is concerned.”

 

“Ok.” Emma watched him closely, seeing the magic pooling around his hands. It was starting to turn a bit green.... almost like pond scum, really. Hmm. Where she was leaning against his aura she got the impression of slowness, calm, and stillness. “Um... a sleeping spell?” Emma asked.

 

“Very good.” Rumpelstiltskin nodded. “How many people will it effect?”

 

Emma frowned. It did feel a lot like pond-scum, not just look like it- spreading and sticky. “A lot.” She answered finally.

 

“Very good.” Rumpelstiltskin grinned. “Now I'm going to hand it to you- hold it but don't cast it, then I will talk you through releasing it.”

 

Emma waited as he passed the magical construct over to her. It was fascinating to watch, but she was getting really, really distracted. Everywhere his aura touched hers as he purposefully moved forward was like a touch tingling on her actual skin. And when he slid the spell finally... into... her... “Guh.” Emma held very still as she tried to process the sensation of his magic inside her.

 

“Are you alright?” He asked in concern.

 

“Peachy.” Emma squeaked, trying to ignore the rolling sensations as she grasped his spell inside her aura.

 

“When you have a hold of it, find the center and will it away.”

 

Emma looked down at the spell. How did pond scum have a center?

 

“Don't just look at it, feel it.”

 

Great. Emma slid her magic along it and noticed that Rumpelstiltskin twitched as she did. “Do you still have some control over it?” She asked curiously. The thought that he did sent a bolt through her and she was fairly trembling at the idea.

 

“Yes.” Rumpelstiltskin bit off. “Otherwise you might cast it, make it explode, or who knows what.”

 

Emma ran her fingers through the spell, feeling the magic swirling around her. She shivered. She found something that was more solid- like a knot of rope in the center, and tugged it back and forth. And almost groaned as it slid along her aura.

  
Emma heard a hiss and looked up to see Rumpelstiltskin trying valiantly to look unaffected, but his eyes were dilated and sparking at the edges and his skin was turning dark brown.

 

Emma licked her lips but unraveled the spell as he had said, letting it drain away. The loss of the magic made her sigh unhappily and feel suddenly very cold.

 

Rumpelstiltskin cleared his throat and swallowed. “Well. Next maybe I'll cast on an object. Don't fix it.” He hastily snatched the breakfast tray and started doodling on it with his fingers. The magic followed.

 

“Why do you do that?” Emma asked.

 

“Do what?” Rumpelstiltskin looked up, blinking.

 

“With your finger.”

 

“Oh.” He looked down at the tray. “Well, you don't need to, of course, but if you do, people can more easily believe that you are casting magic.”

 

“So?” Emma was stumped. But thinking about it was helping kill the tingles. Which she wasn't sure was a good thing or not.

 

“So- if other people believe what you are doing, they will actually automatically fill in what they think you are doing with their own magic.” He grinned toothily. “That's how deals work! I use people's own magic to fulfill my purposes, because they _want_ so badly and I am setting the path for the magic to give it to them.”

 

“Huh.” Emma nodded. “Makes as much sense as magic in the first place.”

 

Rumpelstiltskin giggled. “Yes, well. I did all the magic by myself in the past, but it makes one very tired, even with the Dark One reserves. And it can eventually exaggerate and warp the thought processes.” He held up the tray with a flourish. “Ta Da!”

 

“Ugh... it's hideous.” Emma winced. Nothing went anywhere, there were broken chards, but not in an artistic way. It was lumpy, dull, and it smelled moldy.

 

“Don't fix it.” Rumpelstiltskin scolded.

 

Emma scrunched up her nose.

 

“Here you go, then, love.” He handed it to her.

 

Emma took it with a thumb and forefinger, looking at it dubiously. But... even under the hideousness, it was still his magic. If anything, touching it with her physical fingers was _more_ intense than touching it with her aura alone. She felt her skin starting to flash with delicious heat up her arm, along her shoulder, down over her breast... she gasped and started to pant.

 

“Emma, don't let it get to you.” Rumpelstiltskin admonished.

 

She glared at him. She was having an easy-ish time not correcting it, but being so close to, well, him, after so much sexual frustration was proving much more difficult. She desperately tried to think of magical theory, but it wasn't working. She could hear his lilt as he explained it.

 

“Alright, that's probably enough then...” Rumpelstiltskin said uncertainly, moving quickly forward and moving to snatch the plate from her.

 

Except- his aura so close to her, blending into her, his body so close she could almost feel the heat of his fading blush. She could see the instant that her predatory intent registered on his face because his eyes widened and then his head shook slightly, unconsciously, denying what was about to happen.

 

Emma flung the tray away and snatched his arm, pulling him forward. Slightly off balance from moving forward, he fell and was kneeling on either side of her lap. Emma's other arm snaked behind his waist and pulled him flush to her, groaning in satisfaction and then practically purring.

 

“Emma...!”

 

She didn't let him finish whatever he was going to say. She released his arm and put it behind his neck, pulling his lips down to meet hers. The sensation practically blinded her- no- that was their magic! It was weaving together even as he worked his impressive skills, their tongues dancing along each other. Emma was about ready to tear his leather pants off, ties or no ties, when he suddenly pushed back from her and fell onto his back.

 

Emma growled in annoyance and pounced on top of him. Now her knees were on either side of her hips, a situation which she decidedly approved. She lowered herself down and could tell that he was of the same mind.

 

Except, he wasn't.

 

“Emma... wait.” Rumpelstiltskin gasped.

 

“You are not going to try that virgin bullshit with me again.” Emma scowled, rocking her hips forward.

 

His eyes practically rolled back in his head. “It's... true...” He panted.

 

“Yeah, right.” She bent down and bit him on the throat and he arched up into her in response.

 

“Emma... please... wait...”

 

Emma ignored him and licked the soft flesh under his chin, her tongue bouncing on a few scales as it hit his jawline. He tasted absolutely heavenly- like something spicy and almost a bit minty... their magic was swirling around them as well, making every cell in her body seem to sing approval.

 

“Emma... are you going to rape me, then?” Rumpelstiltskin gasped.

 

Emma went cold and her whole body froze, rigid. Her eyes snapped to his.

 

Rumpelstiltskin's sneer was vicious. “I believe that is what happens when you keep going when someone says 'wait', correct?”

 

Emma's eyes filled with horror, even as she still wanted to press herself closer. It felt so damn right. She closed her eyes and shuddered.

 

“Get off of me.” Rumpelstiltskin hissed.

 

Emma shook her head in despair but quickly backed off. Her whole body practically was positively _aching_ as she did so, her joints almost feeling like they had glass in them. She choked on a sob. She heard a crash but didn't open her eyes until the door slammed shut. Then she opened them to the empty room. For a minute, all she could do was stare at where he had been. She didn't know she was crying until the drops hit her hands from where she was still crouched on all fours on the floor.

 

“Shit.” Emma cursed. She picked up the closest object to her hand- a bowl- and threw it. It made a huge clang against the stone, but didn't make her feel much better at all.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Emma has synesthesia in this chapter, a condition where your senses get confused.


	19. True Love Dammit

Rumpelstiltskin had seen how his magic was effecting Emma. Hell, he could feel it himself- they had been physically separate long after the initial symptoms of true love had hit; the magic of it was making the their auras sliding together almost as sensual as their naked bodies doing the same. At least, he _hoped_ it wasn't more intense than that. How could he maintain the distance and not hurt her if it was even more?

 

Changing over to the stable ward on the platter had seemed like a good compromise. She did still need to learn, after all. And he had promised to teach her. And really, the distractions aside, it was a pleasure to do so. She was a remarkably quick learner and barely needed any prompting to get the correct answer. If he hadn't absolutely known that she had never practiced magic before, he would have been suspicious that she was previously taught.

 

Rumpelstiltskin sighed partly in relief and partly in disappointment when she beheld the platter with disgust. “Ugh... it's hideous.”

 

He suppressed a grin. It was, indeed, the most horrifyingly executed magic he had ever performed. So poor that you had to know what you were doing in order to get it so wrong. “Don't fix it.” He reminded her. Her face twisted even more, her nose doing an adorable... no. He shook himself. “Here you go, then, love.” He offered the platter to her.

 

She took it, barely. Rumpelstiltskin didn't suppress the grin this time. “Emma, don't let it get to you.” He said. If she could avoid messing with this, then perhaps their lessons could be over for now. Until he found a way to break how the curse was... making her love him. And... he could cut the emotion in himself.

 

Emma looked like she was struggling- she was staring at the platter like it held all the answers to the universe. She almost looked to be in a trance and she was starting to shake slightly.

 

“Alright, that's probably enough then...” He moved forward hesitantly and Emma's eyes snapped to his face. Her pupils were blown wide but so very, very focused. His thought to pull back came a split second too late- she already had him by the arm.

 

As he fell forward, Rumpelstiltskin really wished that he felt something other than joy to be pulled into her lap. Her arm snaked around his waist and he let out a groan as they came flush to each other. He could feel her response rumbling in her chest and he felt something embarrassingly close to a purr coming out of his mouth. “Emma...” He started, though he wasn't sure what he was going to say. Her lips on his decisively derailed his train of thought. He should be pushing her away, but it felt so right...

 

When their magic swirled around them, Rumpelstiltskin shuddered. It was beautiful...

 

_Yes, take- take over._ He ignored the curse-thoughts with ease of long practice.  _Bite her!_ Rumpelstiltskin deliberately gentled his tongue, causing Emma to groan in satisfaction.  _Yes, take her now!_ And this time the thoughts were accompanied with an overwhelming rush of emotion. He barely managed to not push Emma back and pin her to the ground and... and...

 

He shoved her back from him and threw himself away, feeling almost like he was tearing off a piece of himself and leaving it with her.

 

Curse the woman- she came with him! And her thighs were tight against his hips; his pants were suddenly much, much too tight.  _Pull her down, make her take you inside of her. Make her scream!_

 

“Emma, wait!” He gasped, his emotions far beyond his understanding, much less control. He felt dizzy.

 

“You are not going to try that virgin bullshit with me again.” Emma scowled down at him. She did something with her hips that almost made him pass out.

 

“It's... true...” He panted. How they were having a coherent-ish conversation was honestly beyond him. He had never done something like this before and his body was just... reacting in ways he couldn't really comprehend properly. Drunken fumbling with the village girl had been nothing like this... and no human since had let him get anywhere near this far. They usually started screaming when he lost control of his appearance; long before this point!

 

“Yeah, right.” She bent down and bit him on the throat. Why that sent a bolt through his body he wasn't sure, but his back _arched_ at the sensation, making his chest press into her.

 

“Emma... please... wait...” Rumpelstiltskin panted. Too fast! _Too slow!_ The knowledge of how to magic their clothes away was at the front of his mind. He just had to give it the slightest hint of will and they would be naked. Together. _Plunder her, take what you need!_

 

Emma's tongue on the scales of his throat almost made him push that will into the spell, but he barely held on. Why was he fighting this? _Yes, take! Give in and take!_ No... it was wrong, wasn't it?

 

“Emma... are you going to rape me, then?” He didn't realize he had said it aloud until he saw Emma staring at him in horror. He gulped, but steeled himself. This was his chance... if it went much farther... he could feel the curse-thoughts pushing at him, emotions and sensations... he could barely think. He sneered viciously, though he was already regretting... “I believe that is what happens when you keep going when someone says 'wait', correct?”

 

Emma still hesitated, crouching down over him... not sexually, exactly, more as if she needed to hold onto him, as if he were disappearing.

 

“Get off of me.” He hissed. He couldn't make more sound come through his throat. It was closing off and even that was painful to say.

 

Emma looked devastated, but she moved backward, off of him. He almost broke down and cried, but fortunately she wasn't looking at his face anymore, just down, dejectedly.

 

The second she was off of him, he fled. Just like he always did. All he could do. Weak, pathetic, unworthy... he practically broke the door as he slammed it shut, then teleported away.

 

OoOoOOooOO

 

When Red poked her head in to the dungeon, she was certainly not expecting what she found. “Emma? What the hell happened?”

 

The other woman was a wreck. It was as obvious that she had been crying as that she had been throwing everything not bolted to the ground at the walls. The breakfast service was bent, shattered and broken against the walls. The small make-shift table was upturned... even the pile of straw that served as a bed had been scattered before scooped back up. Emma was currently curled up on the disorganized pile, clutching a serving platter tight to her chest.

 

“I don't know.” Emma growled.

 

“Ok...” Red said dubiously. She looked mournfully at the spilled food, though thankfully there wasn't much wasted. She told the wolf-instincts to be silent as her stomach growled. She had really wanted an omelet... but now was not the time for that.

 

“Why does he have to be so difficult!” Emma shouted, waving the serving platter around.

 

“Um.” Red raised an eyebrow. “Because that's who he is?” She assumed they were talking about Rumpelstiltskin. “What did he do?”

 

“What did he _not_ do.” Emma sat up, looking disgruntled. No... not disgruntled. _Frustrated._

 

“Ah.” Red nodded. “I see.” She scratched the back of her head. “Not to give you love advice or anything, but he seems to be pretty messed up. You know, mentally. At least from what Belle has said.”

 

“Yeah.” Emma sighed. “Usually I can figure out why he does seemingly random things, but I can't really understand...”

 

“If you can sometimes figure him out, you are far above most people.” Red admitted. “For example, when he was walking on the ceiling the other day, cackling to himself. That one was pretty difficult.”

 

“Well, I suppose.” Emma looked down dejectedly. “It's just... I...” She trailed off, looking confused.

 

“I can tell you one thing, though, if you are confused. He is definitely in love with you.” Red said with confidence.

 

“Yeah, right.” Emma snorted.

 

Red blinked. “No, I mean it.” Emma looked up at her dubiously. “You don't know?”

 

“He avoids me like I have leprosy and runs away whenever we...” She gestured vaguely. Red, being a consummate reader of such gestures knew what she meant, though.

 

“He avoids you by knowing exactly where you are at all times. He practically leans towards you like a plant following the sun.” And Emma did the same, though Red kept that to herself. “He probably doesn't think he's worthy of you.” Red said, thinking of her own courtship with Belle. If they hadn't have gotten together in that other world, then Red would never have let herself fall in love. As it was, the feelings, if not the memories, crossed over and she was helpless against the other woman. Belle had almost bullied her way into _Rumpelstiltskin_ 's heart after all. What's a werewolf to that?

 

“Not worthy.” Emma mused. She looked down at the platter thoughtfully, seeming to see more in it than Red could.

 

“Well. To take your mind off things- we still have some stuff to clean up, though your magical help certainly took care of a majority of it.”

 

“Maybe doing something would be good.” Emma nodded. She stood in a smooth motion that had Red raising an eyebrow again. Maybe the wolf could convince the other woman to a spar.

 

“Great.” Red grinned. She skipped out of the small room, practically whistling. She turned when Emma wasn't following her. “What's wrong?”

 

“Nothing.” Emma said with a stubborn look on her face. She took a decisive step out of the room. At first it seemed like she was being overly dramatic, but then Emma's face started to turn pink, her eyes started to soften and her mouth opened in a soft 'oh' noise.

 

“Um... Emma?” Red said slowly. It looked for all the world like Emma was getting... aroused.

 

“I can't do this.” Emma squeaked. She quickly retreated into the little room.

 

What the... Red frowned in confusion. What could possibly be special about that room? What had Rumpelstiltskin said? That it blocked magic? But there wasn't any magic out here besides the wards. “Ohhhh!” Red's eyes went wide. She followed Emma into the room, where the other woman was glaring at the platter. “Emma... is it... Rumpelstiltskin's wards that you can't be around?”

 

Emma flushed again. “Yes.”

 

Red rocked back on her heals. This was worse... or better, she supposed, depending on the point of view. “That sounds an awful lot like his magical aura is getting you...” She repeated Emma's hand gesture.

 

“Yeah, so what? It's been getting worse, lately, but it's been that way for a while.” Emma huffed in annoyance.

 

“Um.” Red didn't really know how to break this to Emma. Anyone who had been raised in this world knew what that meant.

 

“What?” Emma demanded. “You have that look like I'm not understanding something obvious again.”

 

“Well... erm...” How had her grandmother said it? “When two people's essences are in harmony, and the very thought of another person can... well...” Red scratched the back of her head. She wasn't saying this right.

 

“What are you blabbering about? You sound like a bad romance novel.”

 

Red winced. Though what a 'romance novel' was unclear, the gist of it and the overall derogatory sentiment was. “Well, basically, you are describing symptoms of unrequited True Love.” Red shrugged.

 

“What.” Emma said flatly.

 

It wasn't exactly a question, but Red answered it anyway. “You know, the greatest magic of all, that which can transcend death, dimensions, the strongest of curses.”

 

“Don't be ridiculous. That doesn't actually exist.” Emma dismissed reflexively.

 

Red looked at her incredulously. “Maybe not in that other world, but here? It is certainly not uncommon. Well, True Love in general. Having it unrequited for so long that the presence of _wards_ made by the other person sets you off probably is.”

 

“Oh.” Emma blinked, looking lost.

 

Red shifted uncomfortably. “How about I get Belle to get you a book on it?” Red suggested. When Emma nodded, she gratefully went off to find her lover.

 

As the door was closing, Red heard Emma say softly, “True love... ridiculous.”

 

OoOoOoOooo

 

“What!?!” Belle squeed. “Are you sure?”

 

“I don't know what else you could call it.” Red shrugged.

 

“Oooo. What is he thinking.” Belle huffed. “You can't put off _True_ love.”

 

“He probably thinks that he shouldn't be with Emma, considering.” Red fingered her cloak uneasily.

 

“Nonsense. The curse does not make the person.” Belle dismissed. Red felt a rush of fondness at that off-handed declaration. “Well, I do know good books on the subject.” Red had found her love in the library, so it wasn't very far to the correct shelf.

 

It was a bit of a surprise when they found Rumpelstiltskin pulling the books they needed into his arms. He froze when he saw them. Belle strode up to him and snatched a book out of his hand. “What are you doing with this?” She demanded. “I know you know the signs already.”

 

Rumpelstiltskin looked uncharacteristically miserable. “Belle...”

 

“What, you are 'unlovable'? If you dare to say that, I am going to hit you with this book.”

 

“You wouldn't want to hurt the book, dearie.” Rumpelstiltskin replied weakly.

 

“You...” Belle growled.

 

The imp perked up, licking his lips nervously. “But that's not all, Belle- Emma is under the influence of a curse, she will be horrified once she is cure... yeoch!” Rumpelstiltskin ducked away and grabbed his head, looking up at Belle in surprise.

 

Belle brandished the book again, letting him know that she had no compunctions on giving him another whack.

 

Red leaned against the wall, grinning. She wished she had the 'popcorn' that Belle had described to her.

 

“Belle!” Rumpelstiltskin protested. “Why did you hit me?”

 

“Are you seriously asking me that question? You are being completely hypocritical!”

 

Rumpelstiltskin looked confused.

  
“You are saying that you will not let yourself act on the love you have for Emma,” Rumpelstiltskin made to protest and Belle hefted the book again and he fell silent. “Because you claim she is under a curse. Which I assume you want to break. But then, you don't want to fall in love yourself, because you thought that it would _break your own curse_.”

 

Rumpelstiltskin opened and closed his mouth. “Belle...” He fluttered his hands helplessly. “It's different. Emma jumped into my curse to save us all, it must have warped her. And when she took over the Dark One, I know that effected her permanently, how could it not- ow!” He only half ducked the second assault. “Would you stop it!”

 

“When you stop being an hypocritical idiot!” Belle snapped.

 

“You are driving Emma mad.” Red noted.

 

Rumpelstiltskin blinked and looked at Red, seeming to remember that she was there. “Nonsense.”

 

“She can't even leave the room- your wards and spells on this place... effect her.” Red drawled.

 

Red watched in fascination as a deep brown color started rising on Rumpelstiltskin's usually greenish-yellow face. “It's complicated.” He bit out.

 

“Well, if you don't uncomplicate it, you are going to lose her.” Red shrugged. She paused, trying to figure out if the comment that she _really_ wanted to say would have a net positive or negative effect... eh, what the hell? “You could always join our team and start going after men.” She added with a smirk.

 

Rumpelstiltskin just stared at her.

 

“You can't lose True Love, Red.” Belle huffed.

 

“Hmm.” Red agreed. “That's why I was suggesting the men. It would be poetic, irritating, and something to fill the unending void of pain with black humor.”

 

“Lovely.” Rumpelstiltskin sighed. He snatched back the book from Belle and twirled on his heal angrily.

 

“There's no cure, Rumpelstiltskin!” Belle called after him. “Just go with it! You'll like it, I promise!”

 

Rumpelstiltskin ignored her.

 

“I think we may need to do some matchmaking.” Belle mused.

 

“Belle, I love you, but this may be more than we can handle.” Red scratched her temple wryly.

 

“But...!” Belle protested. “I... feel like I owe him. Them. We both owe Emma. It's just... too sad.”

 

“I agree, love, but... they are going to need to come to this by themselves.” Red smiled sadly. “Or maybe with an epic battle involving magic, dragons, and imminent death.”

 

“Didn't that already happen?” Belle asked dubiously.

 

“Well, yes. But he wasn't Rumpelstiltskin then, was he?” Red asked practically. “And there weren't any dragons.” She pointed out. Red watched nervously as that comment sparked a gleam in her partner's eye. “I don't think I want to know what you just thought of.”

 

“No, no you don't.” Belle grinned. “But I think you are absolutely right about needing dragons.”

 

“Erm... besides the one camped out in the West Tower?”

 

“Oh, most definitely.” Belle grinned evilly.

 

“Oh boy.” Red shifted nervously.

 

“Red, listen- they are driving each other mad. And if they don't resolve this soon... well.” Belle shrugged helplessly. “What's the number one creator of evil villains?”

 

“I'm not saying they shouldn't be together, Belle...” Red trailed off helplessly.

 

“Answer my question.” Belle replied firmly.

 

Red sighed. “Tragic lost love is the main maker of evil.” She intoned forlornly.

 

“Exactly. Emma has a shot to not be evil, despite doing all this magic, talking to dragons, going against the 'good' side of her parents, freeing the Dark One, et cetera.” Belle said firmly. “But all those things mean it would be _really easy_ for her to turn full evil. And you want to know what would be the easiest way for her to go?”

 

“Um...” Red thought. “Well, Rumpelstiltskin did say something about her stealing his Dark One magic or something.” Which was odd- when had that happened? Maybe that was the thing that had made him act so weird that he thought Emma hated him? It almost had to be, didn't it?

 

“Exactly. I don't know how she did it, but if she can and he's still alive, she can do it again. Do you want her to have the power of the Dark One on top of her already out-of-control magical power _and_ a broken heart?”

 

“It would be a very dark time for the kingdom.” Red sighed unhappily.

 

“And who would she probably hurt the most?” Belle pushed.

  
“Besides herself?” Red rubbed her nose unhappily. “Probably Rumpelstiltskin. If she can't get him to agree by his own free will...”

 

“Then she may well take it from him.” Belle said seriously. “Or, kinder, just kill him.”

 

“Why do they have to make this so complicated.” Red sighed. “Why can't they just share True Love's Kiss and be done with it.”

 

“You really think they haven't yet?” Belle asked dubiously. “I mean, you probably know the signs better than I do... but I don't think they have... not been touching each other.”

 

Red winced. “Yeah...” Emma had looked pretty properly kissed underneath her sobs earlier. That on top of a niggling feeling in the back of her brain that she had had a conversation with Emma about how well.... not Rumpelstiltskin... that he kissed?

 

“Well, here's a good book to take to Emma, anyway.” Belle sighed. “Rumple stole all the more advanced ones, but she only needs the basics.”

 

“Alright, good.” Red took it, turning it over and sticking her tongue out at the cover picture of a heart with a gleaming gold crown and... were those fairies? “She is not going to like this.” Red noted, pointing to the picture.

 

“Yes, well.” Belle said primly. “She will have to deal.”

 

OoOOooOOoo

 

Emma looked at the book with about the same expression that Red had. “Seriously?” She asked finally.

 

“The cover is... flamboyant. But it has all the pertinent information.” Belle sniffed. She turned it to a bookmarked page and pointed to the third paragraph. “And it has a good description of the consequences of ignoring a bond.”

 

Emma looked to the page and started to read. “'If the two intended continue to ignore the feelings, the positive is that they can grow stronger, especially if outside forces make them go through difficult obstacles to obtain union. The more difficult the obstacles, the greater the Love.'” Emma read out loud. “That goes a ways to explaining what Rumpelstiltskin was playing at with my parents.” She mused.

 

“Keep reading.” Belle prompted worriedly.

 

“'But continued separation can drive one or both parties mad, or worse, evil.'” Emma stopped, looking at the page in horror.

 

“And the next sentence...” Belle whispered.

 

“I...” Emma gulped.

  
Red took the book from the disturbed blond and picked up where she had left off. “'In extreme cases, the frustration of separation can force a union when one or both parties are not ready, poisoning the union. This is whereby the worst of Evils has come to pass.'”

 

Emma gulped.

 

“So, Emma... I mean.” Belle shrugged helplessly.

 

“It's saying that it will force us to rape each other, isn't it.” Emma looked more disturbed than the two had thought she would at this revelation.

 

“Well, not necessarily, you certainly would have to be in an extreme state for it to get that far!” Belle said hastily.

 

Red, however, was studying Emma closely. “It's already gotten that far, hasn't it. Did he rape you, Emma?”

 

“No!” Emma burst out, settling both Red and Belle's hearts, as surely as her next comment dropped them through the floor again. “I almost raped him.” She admitted softly.

 

“Oh, Emma!” Belle gasped.

 

Emma covered her face in her hands. “I don't want to do that to him...” Red raised her eyebrows- it almost sounded like she was going to say 'again'.

 

“Is this why you had a falling out?” Red asked incredulously.

 

“Well, yes... but that was partly driven by the dark curse...” Emma mumbled.

 

Red and Belle shared a very worried look. That was months ago!

 

“And... even in the other land, I suppose it was more me being aggressive...” She said thoughtfully.

 

Both women's jaws dropped. That long!?! How were either of them still sane?

 

“Emma!” Belle gasped out. “What!?”

 

“Well, first it was you...” Emma waved a hand negligently at Belle. “And then he was in prison... and then er... that thing happened, and then... well, I was being primped to be the new Queen, wasn't I? Even if I don't want it.” Emma sighed. “I just want...” She trailed off, looking at the sappy cover illustration forlornly.

 

Red solemnly gave the book back to Emma. “Well, read this. We'll try to smack some sense into him. Belle already hit him twice with a nice, thick tome.”

 

“Thanks, Belle.” Emma smiled weakly.

 

“My pleasure.” Belle assured her.

 

The two took their leave, not discussing it until they were sure they were out of earshot.

 

“This is much, much worse than I thought.” Belle wrung her hands worriedly. “They are both going to go insane, be massively unhappy and... and...”

 

“I know.” Red confirmed, looking grim. “I never thought of True Love magic being anything but a blessing. But these two are somehow making it a curse.”

 

“It doesn't take hold if they don't already really care for each other.” Belle said mournfully. “And I remember them in the other world, where there was no True Love magic... and they were very much in love with each other then. Or at least, very fond of each other. It was obvious.”

 

“Well.... I don't know why they are being stubborn, but this means that your plan is definitely warranted.” Red replied grimly. “Whatever Rumpelstiltskin's problems are, but they obviously need a push.”

 

“Now if we can figure out how to do it without killing one of them.”

 

“Or us.” Red smiled. “Any of those situations is also a recipe for evil.”

 

“Hmm. Indeed.” Belle tapped her chin. “But I have the basics worked out.”

 

“I really love you, you know.” Red grinned.

 

Belle smiled. “I know.”

 


	20. Endings

 

“There you are, Rumpelstiltskin.”

 

The tired goblin rolled his eyes at the blond woman in her dramatic black dress. “I don't feel like playing today, dearie. Made a lot of deals, traveled around the world. You know. Re-establishing my presence.”

 

“I'm not in a playful mood, either.” Maleficent sneered. “I am here on deadly serious business.”

 

“I'm sure.” He drawled.

 

“I am here about the dragon.” She replied haughtily.

 

“The dragon?” Rumpelstiltskin blinked in honest surprise. “Has it been eating your livestock?” He hazarded a guess.

 

“What? No!” She pointed her staff at him, making him dance back in surprise. “I m here to liberate it!”

 

“You... what?”

 

OoOOOOOooo

 

Emma felt when Rumpelstiltskin arrived back at the castle. Of course she did. Even through the spell-proofing on the dungeon she couldn't help but know where he was at all times. She wondered if that was a product of the curse or the 'true love' nonsense. Though she had to snort at the fact that either were potentially viable options. When had her life gotten so crazy?

 

But she also felt when the magic slammed into Rumpelstiltskin's- it was like a shudder through his entire being and by extension through her own.

 

“What the...?!” Emma ran out of the dungeon, ignoring the wards against her senses and running towards Rumpelstiltskin's signature. She quickly ended up at a dead end. “Marvelous.” She growled, turning back and frantically trying to find the door in the maze of a castle.

 

“Emma! There you are! This way!” Belle grabbed her by the elbow and deftly steered her to the nearest exit. Both women gasped when they saw Rumpelstiltskin engaged in a sorcerous battle with a blond woman. “Oh, my.” Belle whispered.

 

“Who is that?”

 

“Maleficent.” Belle gulped.

 

They both watched in horror as Red came charging on all fours from the bushes, wicked teeth open wide to snap at the sorceress. The wolf was easily intercepted by the sorceress's scepter and was thrown bodily into the marble fountain at the center of the courtyard where she went still.

 

“Red!” Belle shouted, only not running directly to her love because Emma had her firmly by the scruff of the neck. “Let me go, Emma!”

 

“Oho, Rumpelstiltskin, you old, dirty dog. Is this your new harem, then? I recall what happened the last time you tried to make a deal for sex... or is this just another set of 'companions'? I seem to recognize that one.”

 

“Silence.” Rumpelstiltskin hissed. “Weren't we dueling?”

 

“But, my dear, it seems I suddenly have a lot more collateral. Did you think you will be able to perform with more than one at a time? Perhaps they will keep each other from crying?”

 

“I said, be silent!” Rumpelstiltskin roared, leaping at her, a spell glowing orange-red in his hand and clashing into flames against the barrier that Maleficent had constructed.

 

“I think I have hit a sore spot, have I?” Maleficent grinned. “You didn't tell them about that poor girl, did you? How you traded for her maiden-head, but couldn't 'seal the deal' and ended up just giving her what she wanted? I suppose if I were to cry, would you give me what I want as well?” Maleficent said in a sickly-sweet tone of voice.

 

Rumpelstiltskin seemed unable to fully form words and was just growling.

 

“What is she talking about?” Belle wondered out loud.

 

“She's trying... succeeding in making him mad. Damn if I'm going to let her use me to get to him.” Emma snapped back, pulling her sword from the sheath and wishing briefly that she had had time to do more than snatch it from its place leaning against the wall. Armor would likely be helpful. The reflexive snatching of the weapon itself, though, was very helpful.

 

“Oh, look. One of your little trollops is coming to champion your honor.” Maleficent looked positively delighted. “Do you even know what we are fighting about, my dear?”

 

“Doesn't matter.” Emma brandished her sword and settled into a fighting stance beside Rumpelstiltskin, who shot her a confused look. “Why don't you leave, lady. This doesn't have to get any more ugly than it already is.”

 

“Now, now, my dear. Maybe you should leave the fighting to the adults.” Maleficent waved dismissively at Emma. Though she assumed the spell was supposed to be invisible, Emma could clearly see the threads of power sent out by the gesture and sliced through them decisively with her sword. Maleficent blinked at her in surprise, beginning to look a bit worried.

 

“You're going to have to do better than that.” Emma smirked. She had always loved saying that, though in the other world she had usually refrained because of how cheesy it was. Here, though? What the hell. She was almost tempted to ask if the older blond was 'feeling lucky'. And a fight would be an amazing way to let off a little... frustration.

 

“Why, Rumples... it seems you have trapped yourself a hero-type. Be careful, once the spell wears off she will likely slay you.” Maleficent seemed to have gotten over the shock of Emma cutting her spell and now seemed amused. “If she weren't going to slay the dragon as well, I would be tempted to let her at you.”

 

“The dragon?” Emma blinked. “Is that what this is about?”

 

Maleficent scowled at her. “Yes. So just scurry along. If the imp wants to enslave a bunch of women to attempt to prove he actually is a man and not an impotent romantic, I care not. But when he brings the noble creatures into it, I must have a say.”

 

“Stop insulting him!” Emma growled. “And get over yourself, lady. The dragon stays.”

 

“Emma...” Rumpelstiltskin tried to divert the princess' attention. Not happening, though, Emma was in full final-battle-mode at the moment.

 

“Ah, so you intend to bed the beast, then destroy his heart before you kill him. Very noble of you to sacrifice so. I hope you have a tincture to prevent his seed from quickening in your womb.”

 

Emma was only able to understand half of that, but she was pretty sure she had just been called a slut. “That's it!” She yowled as she charged the woman. Her sword almost cut into Maleficent's neck, but the startled woman ducked just in time. Emma had seen the barrier as a shimmering like a heat haze. But she twisted the edge between the ripples in it and slid through the protection with little trouble. The sorceress had been relying too heavily on the barrier around her and almost lost her life to her complacency.

 

Maleficent backed up hastily and then began to smoke heavily, roiling out purple in billowing clouds, which snaked over the cobblestones. One brushed through Emma's leg and it felt... cold. But at the same time, it rather burned.

 

“Emma, get back!” Rumpelstiltskin cried. When Emma just looked up at the towering plume and the sparking flames within it, he grabbed her by the waist and pulled her back.

 

“You know you don't need to go to these extremes if you want a hug?” Emma smirked at him.

 

“Emma, this is no time for jokes... she's just...”

 

“Turned into a dragon, right?”

 

Rumpelstiltskin blinked at her. “Well, yes.”

 

“Perfect, just my luck!” Emma laughed a bit hysterically. Well, a giant snake would be worse. Somehow they were more... viscerally terrifying. The smoke glowed like a wound and Rumpelstilskin pushed her to the left as he dove right. Emma tucked into a roll and came up with sword bared on the impressive fireball that passed close enough that her skin felt tight and she swore she felt her eyebrows burn. Just a bit.

 

Roaring echoed off the walls of the courtyard and the dragon charged forward, head snaking between the two of them, tongue flicking out aggressively and the baleful eyes turned one to each of them.

 

Emma almost instinctively pulled in a connection so that she could follow what the woman was saying. She caught the other dragon as well, which surprised her a bit. She hadn't realized it was so clo-

 

A green-black figure slammed into the more purplish dragon, screaming “Stay away from the Consort!”

 

Emma fell on her ass at the displacement of air. Which was good, considering the limbs flinging about as the two dragon screamed and wrestled each other.

 

“What are you doing, fool! I am here to rescue you!” Maleficent screeched back.

 

“There's a reason why they say turning into a dragon never helps!” Emma cupped her hands around her mouth and bellowed at Maleficent.

 

“Who says that?” Maleficent asked in confusion.

 

“Dragon always better! Die crunchy-spell-not-dragon!” The smaller black dragon snapped out, teeth closing just shy of the delicate membranes of Maleficent's wing.

 

“You will pay for spelling the dragon into a slave!” Maleficent let loose another jet of flames at Rumpelstiltskin.

 

“We didn't! It wants to be here!” Emma protested. Her heart lept to her throat until she spotted the imp, singed but unharmed, on the other side of the courtyard.

 

“Hah!” Maleficent scoffed.

 

“Yes, leave territory-stealer!” The dragon pounced, this time knocking them both into a breezeway and crashing through several stone columns. The wards quivered and Emma gritted her teeth against the noise, devastation and the desire to heal the damage and the wards. There were much more critical things to be worrying about now.

 

A flicker of movement caught Emma's eye and she turned slightly to be able to see, but not enough that she could not see the writhing dragons. Ruby was up and being helped to a safer location by Belle. Both were being ignored by the combatants. Good.

 

“The dragon is saying that it wants to be here!” Emma snapped. “Can't you understand it? You _are_ a dragon!”

 

Maleficent knocked the other dragon back, hissed at it, then threw a dubious eye at Emma. “Don't try to confuse me, hero.”

 

“Emma can understand the beast.” Rumpelstiltskin stated.

 

“Hah! You can't even understand me, imp!”

 

When Rumpelstiltskin said nothing, Emma had to believe that that was true. “I can understand you, and the other dragon.”

 

“You don't even know its sex or name.” Maleficent huffed, though she seemed less convinced. Or more distracted. She was fending off a flurry of attacks, claw and tooth, from the dragon.

 

“It doesn't have either.” Emma swung her blade in frustration. “Now who is making assumptions?”

 

“I will free the dragon!” Maleficent screamed.

 

“Do you _want_ me to kill you?” Emma snapped. “I will!”

 

“And then what, hero? Slay the dragon, get the damsel in distress? You'll have to stuff the imp into a gown, but I think you would be happier just slaying him as well.”

  
Emma's lips twitched at the thought of Rumpelstiltskin in a dress. Maybe later. “I wish it were as easy as a change of clothes...” Emma muttered. If she could just get the imp to swoon into her arms, calling her hero, this would be a hell of a lot easier. This wasn't that kind of fairy tale, though. She turned to 'their' dragon. “Here, dragon, leave off on the false one before she decides to get serious. I can handle her.”

 

“But, Dark-One-Consort... when she was crunchy, for crunchies to take care of. Now a dragon, must defend the nest!”

 

“I'll handle it, alright? She wants to free you.”

 

The dragon backed off from Maleficent and twisted its head around almost upside-down. “Free this one?” It asked, sounding completely confused. “Means kill?”

 

“No, she doesn't want to kill you.” Emma soothed.

 

The dragon dropped to its haunches, making the ground shake a bit. “Odd not-dragon.”

 

“What did you do to it? I saw you cast no spells.” Maleficent demanded.

 

“I _talked_ to it.” Emma said, slowly, as if to a child.

 

“Nonsense.” Maleficent said uneasily.

 

“Emma- are we going to need to fight?” Rumpelstiltskin looked hopeful the answer was 'no'. In fact, he looked rather tired. Hell, more than tired- he looked exhausted.

 

Emma kept one eye on the dragon-sorceress, but took in his pale green skin, the darkness under his eyes. It had seemed odd that he was letting the other beat him so, but maybe he simply did not have the energy? “Well, _I_ may have to, but you can go take a nap. It looks like you need it.”

 

Rumpelstiltskin sighed, rather than scowling, which made Emma even more worried.

 

She turned back to the dragon-sorceress and rolled her neck before settling in a fighting stance. “I can talk to the dragon. It has something to do with being raised without magic, how I connect to people, and the fact that I can only _sometimes_ understand when people are talking in other languages.” Emma flourished her blade. “So, are we going to do this or what? I'm apparently some sort of hero, so I think the rules of this land mean it's a bit stacked against you.”

 

Maleficent snorted in annoyance and seemed to deflate and shrink smaller- no, she _actually was_ growing smaller. The dragon shrank and became a human once again. “You are no kind of hero that I have ever encountered. What hero talks evil out of attacking them instead of jumping at the chance to slay it?”

 

“Yeah, well. Blame the foster care system.” Emma shrugged. “You learn that there are all kinds of evil and good... in that world anyway.” She sighed. “I don't want to believe it is so black-and-white here, despite the evidence.”

 

Maleficent crossed her arms over her chest. “Hmph.”

 

“I take it that you are accepting the cease-fire?” Emma smirked. In this case, literally.

 

“Very well, hero. You are correct that the magic seems to be with you.” Maleficent grumbled.

 

“Would you like some supper?” Belle stepped out from the recesses of the house, smoothing her skirts nervously. “We should have enough for an extra person.”

 

Maleficent just stared at her incredulously.

 

“I'm certainly starved.” Red added, stretching out a kink in her back.

 

“I think not. There is too much between the two of us for me to be part of his harem.” Maleficent sniffed.

 

“Too bad. You are missing out.” Red smirked.

 

“Nice try, youngling. But I know for a fact that imp has never more than kissed a woman without some liquid courage on board. Even the dryads, nymphs and sylphs complain about his lack of... libido.”

 

“I told you to stop insulting him.” Emma snapped.

 

“Hmm.” Maleficent sized her up with her gaze. “For you, perhaps- he does seem a bit more... interested.”

 

Emma glared at the comment. “What?” Was it really that obvious?

 

“Oh, please, dear. It's obvious he loves you.” She shook her head. “I suppose you'll break his heart and he'll spend another few decades moping.” She sighed. “He's such a bore when that happens.” She waved and started to fade out of sight. “Ta!”

 

And with that, she was gone.

 

Emma blinked at the after-image of the woman. She felt rather miserable. Everyone was throwing out the 'l' word, but he wouldn't... “I feel like I just got epic battle blue balls.” She muttered, depressed.

 

“Uh... not sure what that means, but, well. It was probably for the best. Imagine having to clean all that blood out of the cobblestones.” Belle giggled nervously, shooting a worried look at Ruby.

 

Emma sighed and moved into the bowels of the manor. She followed her sense of him to the dining room, where she found him already eating. He tensed when she approached. Heart heavy, she sat as far away from him as she could bear... which ended up being pretty close.

 

“So. People just randomly attack you?” Emma asked.

 

Rumpelstiltskin shrugged, not looking at her. “Sometimes.”

 

Emma resisted her desire to place her hand on his arm, feeling miserable.

 

“You seem to be holding up well.” He added, finally looking at her. She gasped slightly when his gold eyes met hers.

 

“Yes, well.” Emma said softly. It was easy enough to ignore the singing of the wards when the originator was right in front of her. Especially when there were dragon(s) and the possibility of battle. She was almost ready to get up, her appetite leaving her, when Rumpelstiltskin's hand settled on her arm. She froze in surprise.

 

“You don't look very well, Emma.”

 

“You're not looking particularly fresh, yourself.” Emma said slowly, hardly daring to move.

 

Rumpelstiltskin sighed and looked away, then back to her. “Belle brought up some points the other day...”

 

“And you listened?” Emma said dubiously.

 

“She rather... hammered them home.” Rumpelstiltskin smiled wryly. “Are you... unhappy?”

 

Emma stared at him.

 

“I mean...” He sighed.

 

“Of course I'm unhappy.” Emma said finally.

 

“Of course?” Rumpelstiltskin blinked.

 

“Torn from my home, given all these weird powers, and you...” She stopped, her lips sealing tight. She wasn't going to be rejected a third time, the promising sign that his hand was still on her arm notwithstanding.

 

“And I'm shoving you away.” He said slowly.

 

Emma huffed a sad laugh.

 

“Oh here's the foo...” Belle trailed off when the two of them jumped. “Oh, sorry. Not hungry?” She smirked. “Well, then, Red and I will eat in our rooms, won't we dear?”

 

“Eat, yes.” Red replied, eyes dancing.

 

Red's eyes flicked from Rumpelstiltskin's hand on Emma's arm and then to her lover, looking smug.

 

Despite coming down from adrenaline and being an emotional wreck, Emma's finely tuned senses caught the look, as well as the vaguely guilty stance of the two women and rapidly snapped two and two together. “You two told that witch about the dragon!” Emma snapped.

 

“Um.” Belle gulped.

 

“Well, someone needed to do something! You two are ridiculous! The sexual tension is so high that Belle and I have been...” Belle slapped her hand over her lover's mouth.

 

“Ah, well. It seemed like something sufficiently drastic to bring you out of the dungeon, Emma. You've been down there for a week and your mother has started to send irate jays asking for updates.” She rubbed her head and winced.

 

“You almost got us all killed!” Emma snarled. “What if I hadn't felt it? What if I hadn't come out? What if the dragon hadn't defended us?”

 

Belle looked down. “It did seem like a better idea before Red...” She stopped, shaking.

 

Red gathered the smaller woman to her and stroked her back. “If someone hadn't decided on suicide by means of sorceress.” She glared pointedly at Rumpelstiltskin.

 

Emma glanced at the imp, but he didn't deny it.

 

Belle pulled her head out of Red's bosom to defend her one-time captor. “We knew that he's been really drained. Fighting the True Love magic as well as not being able to regrow all of the power he had stored from before- you know that it all disappeared with the curse.” She scolded.

 

“What?” Emma snapped.

 

“Not another word.” Rumpelstiltskin growled.

 

“No!” Belle stood away from Red, her face fierce. “You didn't say it but I know it's true. Before you could go months without making a deal, or only piddling ones. I saw the stash of magic, and I'm sure there were more than one. But now, where are they? Smashed! We can both see how tired you are.”

 

“Is this true?” Emma asked, when he didn't deny it.

 

Rumpelstiltskin sighed. “I did have a large reserve gathered which served to stave off the... more negative aspects of the curse, as well as fund larger deals before they proved fruitful or if they failed.”

 

Emma fingered the dagger from its safe place at her hip. She was never really without it, though learning how to sleep without stabbing herself had been... interesting. “Regardless, you brought the only other large evil here.” Emma said flatly.

 

“Emma...” Belle looked at her worriedly.

 

“It was a mistake.” Red acknowledged. “Even if is partially worked.”

 

Belle continued quickly as she saw the building argument in Emma's face. “Won't happen again!” She squeaked.

 

“Yeah, because the next Big Bad will be Emma...” Red muttered under her breath.

 

“Food's under the warming charm, we'll just shut ourselves in our room then. As punishment.”Belle said, dragging her lover away, who was sporting a rather lecherous grin.

 

“Somehow I don't think that will be too much of a punishment for them.” Emma said dryly. As they left the room, however, the oppressive silence was back. The two of them needed to talk... but...

 

“Emma... I'm... not a good person.” Rumpelstiltskin said finally.

 

Emma laughed bitterly at that. “I am fully aware of who you are, Rumpelstiltskin.” She shook her head. “In all of your forms. Hell, I even know what the curse feels like.” She squeezed her eyes shut, not turning to look at him. “And according to those books, I am about to turn evil from unrequited “True Love”.” She mimed the quotes in the air with her fingers.

 

“That...”  
  
“Don't say it won't happen.” Emma turned now, facing Rumpelstiltskin who was still seated and looking both uncomfortable and very, very tired. “I've been there before. I'm not a particularly good person, either.”

 

“Taking out a broken heart on capturing evil people is still being a hero, Emma.” Rumpelstiltskin said softly. “You didn't kill anyone.”

 

Emma raised an eyebrow.

 

“There were some maimings.” He allowed. “But guns are so hard to aim sometimes.” He smirked.

 

Emma moved over and sat back down next to him. In for a penny, in for a pound, she supposed. She took his hands in hers and looked him in the eye. “I'm in love with you.” He started violently. Emma plowed on stubbornly, not letting him run away. “And don't give me crap about it being the curse, or this True Love shit, or whatever. I had serious feelings for you in Storybrooke. I loved you when you were crazed in a dungeon; when you were stripped of your powers, helpless and weak; when you were _holding a stolen baby_.” She willed him to believe her. “I don't care about this magic. I will hold off on it like I have been.” Which was probably a lie. There was no real way to fight this crap- her own heart and an entire world. But she would figure out how. “Just tell me you don't love me in return.”

 

Rumpelstiltskin swallowed heavily, looking dangerously pale. “It is difficult to tell what is it and what my own desires.” He looked away, clenching his jaw. “I am confused.” He admitted.

 

Emma rubbed soothing circles on the back of his hands and waited for him to continue.

 

“When I look at you, I know part of the thoughts are my own, but parts are assuredly the curse. I cannot separate them like I can other thoughts and emotions. And even those I cannot do well.”

 

“Alright.” Emma smiled, making Rumpelstiltskin nervous. “Easy enough to fix.” Before he could open his mouth to protest Emma had flooded his aura, making him gasp and then suck in a scared breath as his magic abandoned him. Almost before that registered, however, Emma was there, her magic joining with him and lending him her senses. Rumpelstiltskin was dazed, blinking, when her mouth captured his. He felt the familiar swell of emotion, the need to have her, to keep her, to press himself inside her and make her _his_.

 

He almost fell over when she pulled back, only her hand grasping the back of his neck keeping him from keeling over.

 

“So.” Emma said breathlessly. “Now how do you feel?”

 

“Pretty much the same.” Rumpelstiltskin gasped back. Actually, better, if he were being honest. He still could _sense_ like he used to- not trapped to the peasant non-ability. But he was not fighting against the curse-thoughts constantly, either. The full force of the positive, overwhelming... love... he was dizzy with it.

 

“And if you were to put a label on that feeling?” Emma asked, partly teasing, but partly needing to hear him say it. Ok, _mostly_ because she needed to hear him say it. Her head was hammering against her sternum in lust but more trepidation. If he rejected her again, she really didn't know if she could handle it.

 

“I love you, Emma.” Rumpelstiltskin said, his dark eyes looking at her, soft and gentle.

 

Emma's heart practically burst at the admission and she captured his lips again. It was unbelievably more intense than it had ever been. She had been able to sense him for so long- now, though, she could tell that he could sense her as well. There was a loop of magic, emotions, _sensations_ and her brain promptly fried.

 

A pulse of energy shot out from them, not that either noticed, really. But upstairs Red and Belle cheered, perched on the tower the dragon bugled triumphantly. Woodland creatures cavorted in a way that thankfully no one would see, as it would _ruin_ Rumpelstiltskin's reputation forever.

 

When they pulled apart, Emma was suddenly aware that her elbow was being stabbed by a fork, her ribs awkwardly diverted by the edge of the table. She smiled anyway, though, looking at... what the hell- looking at her True Love. She ran a thumb over his smooth cheek.

 

Rumpelstiltskin's eyes shadowed briefly, but Emma just snorted.

 

“Don't you dare even finish that thought.” Emma grinned toothily and released the magic back into him, slowly, letting her aura trail through every thread of it. “That was not a comment on your complexion.” She repeated the gesture against the pebbled skin that had reappeared with the power.

 

Rumpelstiltskin felt the groan that rumbled in his throat and stared at Emma. The more... aggressive emotions were added back, and that in addition to her magic was driving him absolutely wild. “I... really don't know what I am doing.” He panted. He stood, feeling a bit wobbly, but steadied when Emma followed him and they wrapped around each other. He sighed happily and buried his nose in her hair. She smelled absolutely divine. Part of him wanted to just stay there, but another wanted to bend her over the table and have his wicked way with her. It was considerably easier to contemplate the later without worrying about changing back to his natural form (he already was) or thinking about how empty her mind was, how terrified she was, or other such states that previous females had been in while this close to him.

 

“We can take it one step at a time.” Emma murmured to him. He could hear the smile in her voice. “Though I'm still horny as hell, this is enough for now.”

 

“Now, Emma, don't go getting soft on me.” Rumpelstiltskin muttered. “Your dominance is simply enthralling.”

 

Emma pulled back to look at him, an amused curl to her lip. “You, sir, are incorrigible.”

 

Rumpelstiltskin grinned. And for once, it was because he was Truly happy.

 

 

 


End file.
